Sleep and Nutrition in Athletes

Purpose of Review Whilst it is known that athletes are particularly vulnerable to sleep difficulties due to high training and competition demands, the relationship between sleep and nutrition in this population is less clear. Recent Findings Nutrition is becoming an area of increased interest in relation to athlete sleep and recovery. The adaptive response to training is dictated by a number of variables: duration, intensity, frequency and type of exercise in combination with nutrition both pre- and post-exercise. Training adaptations and recovery including sleep can be optimised by appropriate nutrition practises. There are numerous nutrients that show promise in relation to the promotion of sleep and athlete recovery which are discussed in this article. Summary Whilst the number of studies investigating the effect of nutritional interventions on sleep in athletes is increasing, more research is necessary in elite athletic populations.