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. 2023 Dec;20(1):2236055.
doi: 10.1080/15502783.2023.2236055.

Pre-sleep feeding, sleep quality, and markers of recovery in division I NCAA female soccer players

Casey E Greenwalt  1 , Elisa Angeles  1 , Matthew D Vukovich  2 , Abbie E Smith-Ryan  3 , Chris W Bach  4 , Stacy T Sims  5 , Tucker Zeleny  4 , Kristen E Holmes  6 , David M Presby  7 , Katie J Schiltz  1 , Marine Dupuit  1   8 , Liliana I Renteria  1 , Michael J Ormsbee  1   9
Affiliations

Pre-sleep feeding, sleep quality, and markers of recovery in division I NCAA female soccer players

Casey E Greenwalt et al. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2023 Dec.

Abstract

Pre-sleep nutrition habits in elite female athletes have yet to be evaluated. A retrospective analysis was performed with 14 NCAA Division I female soccer players who wore a WHOOP, Inc. band - a wearable device that quantifies recovery by measuring sleep, activity, and heart rate metrics through actigraphy and photoplethysmography, respectively - 24 h a day for an entire competitive season to measure sleep and recovery. Pre-sleep food consumption data were collected via surveys every 3 days. Average pre-sleep nutritional intake (mean ± sd: kcals 330 ± 284; cho 46.2 ± 40.5 g; pro 7.6 ± 7.3 g; fat 12 ± 10.5 g) was recorded. Macronutrients and kcals were grouped into high and low categories based upon the 50th percentile of the mean to compare the impact of a high versus low pre-sleep intake on sleep and recovery variables. Sleep duration (p = 0.10, 0.69, 0.16, 0.17) and sleep disturbances (p = 0.42, 0.65, 0.81, 0.81) were not affected by high versus low kcal, PRO, fat, CHO intake, respectively. Recovery (p = 0.81, 0.06, 0.81, 0.92), RHR (p = 0.84, 0.64, 0.26, 0.66), or HRV (p = 0.84, 0.70, 0.76, 0.93) were also not affected by high versus low kcal, PRO, fat, or CHO consumption, respectively. Consuming a small meal before bed may have no impact on sleep or recovery.

Keywords: Pre-sleep nutrition; athlete sleep quality; female athlete nutrition; female athlete physiology.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Overall project timeline.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Sample monthly timeline.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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