The Influences Of Sleep On Subjective Markers Of Recovery And Injury In Female College Soccer Athletes

PURPOSE: This study investigates the impact of sleep quality, duration, and accumulated sleep debt on fatigue, stress, mood, and injury incidence in female collegiate soccer players. METHODS: A cohort of athletes provided daily self-reports on health-related variables. The study measured sleep parameters (quality and duration), recovery indicators (including muscle soreness, fatigue, stress, and mood), and recorded injury occurrences. Sleep debt was quantified based on a 3-day rolling average, with deficits calculated against each athlete's study-period sleep average minus one hour. Pearson's correlation analyses were conducted to explore the associations between sleep variables and recovery markers, including injury incidence. RESULTS: Twenty-three female university soccer players participated. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive relationships between recovery markers and both sleep quality (r = 0.086 to 0.425, p < 0.001) and sleep debt (r = 0.09 to 0.190, p < 0.001). Conversely, sleep duration showed a negative correlation with recovery markers (r = -0.152 to -0.335, p < 0.001). Injury occurrence was correlated with both sleep duration (r = -0.098, p < 0.001) and sleep debt (r = 0.118, p < 0.001); however, no significant correlation was found between sleep quality and injury. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the crucial influence of adequate sleep on the perceived recovery and injury risk among female collegiate soccer players. Notably, both the quantity of sleep and cumulative sleep debt were associated with injury rates, highlighting the importance of sleep management in athletic health protocols.