The Cyclist’s Sleep

We often talk about diet, but if there’s one other essential element to athletic success, it’s sleep. It’s part of the winning triptych with nutrition and training. Thus, the balance between sport and sleep is essential because one promotes the other. But how does this balance work?

By Jean-François Tatard – Photos: pexels.com, pixabay.com, pxhere.com, Jean-François Tatard, Frédéric Poirier.

The balance between sport and sleep is essential because one promotes the other. Thus, poor quality sleep directly impacts performance. Let’s say that if you don’t sleep well, it increases the feeling of fatigue, decreases recovery, increases the negative effects induced by exercise such as muscle soreness, inflammation, heat tolerance, cold tolerance, etc. And vice versa: doing sport or physical activity in general promotes better quality sleep, due to energy expenditure, hormonal stimulation, and better regulation of the day/night rhythm.

The Circadian Rhythm

Do you know about the circadian rhythm? Generally speaking, circadian rhythm disorders are characterized by a disruption of the biological clock. To simplify, except for David Guetta and Bob Sinclar, your body is designed to live during the day and sleep at night, because you are diurnal living beings, and according to a 24-hour rhythm. That’s the circadian rhythm.

Deep Sleep

As you will have understood, sleep is essential, but it must also be restorative. And for it to be restorative, it must be deep. Thus, it is necessary to create healthy fatigue beforehand so that falling asleep occurs more quickly. And with fewer micro-awakenings.

We agree, and it’s a good thing: sport accentuates the depth of sleep. And, it’s mainly about optimizing the time spent in this slow-wave, deep sleep phase. This is more effective for recovery than REM sleep. But this effect only exists if the athlete has used more than 60% of their VO2 max during their sporting activity. Do you remember what this energy system corresponds to? It’s when it becomes difficult to talk without being out of breath. This deep sleep is thus favored. And what’s even more interesting is that this sporting activity itself depends on the quality of recovery, therefore on slow-wave and deep sleep. A virtuous circle is thus set in motion… But then your question, of course, I was expecting it: “Should you sleep more when you are an athlete?”

There is no established relationship between sleep duration and athletic performance.

I’ll tell you straight: “NO!” No, doing sport does not require more sleep. Nor do you necessarily need to sleep more to perform better in sport. FBI! Not the American police. But FBI as in “false good idea”. There is no established relationship between sleep duration and athletic performance. In fact, if there is a link between performance and sleep, it is mainly on deep and slow sleep that you should focus.

The Nap

The nap is a trap. Why? On the one hand, because it often drags on. And on the other hand, because most of the time, you put yourself in a state of REM sleep, which is not restorative. And when it’s time to go to bed for the whole night, no matter how many sheep you count, it becomes difficult to fall into the arms of Morpheus.

The Rules of Sleep

“Sleep before midnight counts double!” Haven’t you ever heard Grandma hammer this message into you? The origin of this belief takes us back in time, to the era when electric lighting was not yet widespread. Indeed, before screens invited themselves into our living rooms and light was accessible at any time of day or night, people had to rely on the sun to see clearly. However, once night fell, activities were limited due to a lack of visibility. So, since it wasn’t possible to watch Netflix in the evening or choose one of the 6 episodes of the TV movie dedicated to Movistar, people went to bed much earlier than now.

And the 8-hour rule? I don’t know if that’s Grandpa’s rule, but in reality, make no mistake, it’s impossible to set a standard for it. Everyone must determine their own needs. For adults, the average sleep duration is said to be 8 hours, but some short sleepers are content with 6 hours or less, while heavy sleepers will need 9 or 10 to feel rested. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot stated on her Instagram account a few days ago that she needed 12 hours, whereas at another time, Bernard Hinault’s teammates dreaded having to share his room. He would watch TV until very late at night, and at 6 AM he was already in the hotel restaurant drinking his coffee. These differences are linked to genetic factors that define your chronotype.

If a restriction is temporary and moderate, the consequences are limited.

How to assess your real needs?

There are tests, notably by actimetry. But keep it simple! The best indicator is still your feeling of fatigue. And another thing to keep in mind: lack of sleep doesn’t cancel out in two days. Thus, if a restriction is temporary and moderate, the consequences are limited. On the other hand, without scaring you, be careful anyway: reducing sleep time below your fundamental needs disrupts the expression of your genes. And the risk? The risk is the impact on your immunity.