Aerobic Exercise: A Potential Rescue From the Negative Ramifications of Poor Sleep

The goal of this interventional study is to differentiate the effects of an acute partial sleep deprivation intervention on markers of cardiovascular health, cardio-autonomic function, physical and cognitive performance, as well as overall wellbeing in active vs sedentary individuals. The main aims of the project are:

• To differentiate the effects of partial sleep deprivation on central hemodynamics (i.e., central blood pressure and arterial stiffness) in active vs sedentary individuals.
• To differentiate the effects of partial sleep deprivation on physical (i.e., handgrip strength and reactive strength index) and cognitive performance (i.e., reaction time and impulse control) in active vs sedentary individuals.
• To differentiate the effects of partial sleep deprivation on overall wellbeing (i.e., cardio-autonomic function, inflammation levels, and psychological mood states) in active vs sedentary individuals.

Participants will be divided into two groups based on aerobic activity level - active or sedentary - and assessed for markers of cardiovascular health, cardio-autonomic function, physical and cognitive performance, as well as overall wellbeing before and after three days of normal sleep and three days of partially deprived sleep (i.e., 30% reduction in total time in bed).

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Sleep; Cardiovascular Health
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Partial Sleep Deprivation

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Brett Cross; Phone Number: 4783089421; Email: bcross2@fsu.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Michael Ormsbee; Email: mormsbee@fsu.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Florida
    • Tallahassee, Florida, United States, 32301
      • Recruiting
      • Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine
      • Contact: Michael Ormsbee; Phone Number: 6103313126; Email: mormsbee@fsu.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Chronically active (≥150 minutes of moderate- and/or ≥75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week for the last 3 months) OR
• Sedentary (≤60 minutes of aerobic exercise per week for the last 3 months)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Chronic, uncontrolled disease (cardiovascular, metabolic)
• Poor sleep (regularly achieving <7 hours of sleep per night)
• Musculoskeletal injury in the last 6 months
• Obese (grade II or higher)
• Pregnant

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Normal Sleep
Experimental: Acute Partial Sleep Deprivation; 30% reduction in habitual time in bed	Other: Partial Sleep Deprivation; 30% reduction in habitual time in bed; Other Names: Reduced Sleep

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Arterial Stiffness (i.e., carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity)	Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity measured via applanation tonometry	Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of normal sleep
Central Hemodynamics	Central Blood Pressure	Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of normal sleep

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Cardio-Autonomic Function	heart rate variability	Daily mid- and post- 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; daily mid- and post- 3 days for normal sleep
Cardio-Autonomic Function	resting heart rate	Daily mid- and post- 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; daily mid- and post- 3 days for normal sleep
Cardio-Autonomic Function	respiration rate	Daily mid- and post- 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; daily mid- and post- 3 days for normal sleep
Cognitive Performance	impulse control; measured via vetted smart phone application (Sway Medical; Tulsa, OK)	Daily mid- and post- 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; daily mid- and post- 3 days for normal sleep
Cognitive Performance	reaction time; measured via vetted smart phone application (Sway Medical; Tulsa, OK)	Daily mid- and post- 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; daily mid- and post- 3 days for normal sleep
Physical Performance	hand grip strength	Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of normal sleep
Physical Performance	reactive strength index; scale title: reactive strength index, scale limits: 0-100, higher value is better	Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of normal sleep
Inflammation	CRP	Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of normal sleep
Inflammation	IL-6	Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of normal sleep
Inflammation	IL-1beta	Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of normal sleep
Inflammation	IL-10	Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of normal sleep
Inflammation	TNF-alpha	Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of partial sleep deprivation; Immediately- and 3 days-post 3 days of normal sleep

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Florida State University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 21, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 10, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 25, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): May 4, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 30, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 28, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00006067

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No