Athletic performance; effects of sleep loss

Daily rhythmicity is observed in many aspects of athletic performance, including training and competition results. Contributory factors include the individual's body clock, environment and sleep–wake cycle, time awake and sleep loss. Required also is an appreciation of interactions between core temperature, physical performance, cognition, time awake, training load, recovery and sleep loss. Advice to trainers, coaches and athletes is aimed at enabling athletes to choose times of training that will minimize the difficulties due to sleep loss and to deal with circumstances likely to lead to this.