The Restorative Role of Daytime Naps in Mentally Fatigued Endurance Athletes (Nap&Run)
5 mai 2026 mis à jour par: Jacopo Vitale, L.U.de.S. Sagl
The Restorative Role of Daytime Naps in Mentally Fatigued Endurance Athletes: a Randomized Controlled Trial
This randomized, counterbalanced crossover study investigated whether a 30-minute daytime nap can mitigate the effects of experimentally induced mental fatigue in amateur master endurance athletes. Male athletes completed two home-based experimental sessions separated by one week: a mental fatigue condition, in which a 30-minute cognitively demanding task battery preceded the nap, and a control condition, in which participants took only the nap. Sleep parameters during the nap were monitored by wrist actigraphy, and perceived sleep quality was assessed after awakening. Subjective sleepiness, perceived mental fatigue, and cognitive performance were evaluated before the nap, immediately after the nap, and/or 30 minutes after the nap.
The study examined whether mental fatigue influenced nap characteristics and whether the nap improved recovery-related outcomes. The main outcomes included actigraphy-derived nap parameters, perceived sleep quality, sleepiness assessed with the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, perceived mental fatigue assessed using a visual analogue scale, and cognitive performance assessed with a Flanker task.
Aperçu de l'étude
Statut
Complété
Les conditions
Intervention / Traitement
Type d'étude
Interventionnel
Inscription (Réel)
11
Phase
- N'est pas applicable
Contacts et emplacements
Cette section fournit les coordonnées de ceux qui mènent l'étude et des informations sur le lieu où cette étude est menée.
Lieux d'étude
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Milan, Italie
- University of Milan
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Critères de participation
Les chercheurs recherchent des personnes qui correspondent à une certaine description, appelée critères d'éligibilité. Certains exemples de ces critères sont l'état de santé général d'une personne ou des traitements antérieurs.
Critère d'éligibilité
Âges éligibles pour étudier
- Adulte
Accepte les volontaires sains
Non
La description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Male amateur master endurance athletes
- Age between 28 and 50 years
- Peak oxygen uptake (VO₂peak) ≥55 mL·kg-¹·min-¹
- Habitual nocturnal sleep duration of at least 7 hours
- Able and willing to complete both experimental sessions and daytime nap procedures
Exclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosed medical condition or injury
- Diagnosed sleep disorder
- Use of medications or supplements affecting sleep or cognition, including melatonin
- Habitual sleep duration of less than 7 hours per night
- Inability to nap during the experimental sessions
Plan d'étude
Cette section fournit des détails sur le plan d'étude, y compris la façon dont l'étude est conçue et ce que l'étude mesure.
Comment l'étude est-elle conçue ?
Détails de conception
- Objectif principal: Traitement
- Répartition: Randomisé
- Modèle interventionnel: Affectation croisée
- Masquage: Seul
Armes et Interventions
Groupe de participants / Bras |
Intervention / Traitement |
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Expérimental: Mental Fatigue + Daytime Nap
Participants completed a 30-minute mental fatigue induction protocol consisting of cognitively demanding tasks, followed by a 30-minute daytime nap performed at home between 14:00 and 15:00.
Subjective sleepiness, perceived mental fatigue, nap characteristics, perceived sleep quality, and cognitive performance were assessed before and/or after the nap.
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Participants completed a 30-minute computerized cognitive task battery designed to induce mental fatigue before the daytime nap.
The protocol consisted of three consecutive 10-minute cognitively demanding tasks: a Flanker task, a memory task, and a Stroop task.
Participants took a 30-minute daytime nap at home between 14:00 and 15:00, at least one hour after lunch, in a quiet and dimly lit room.
Nap characteristics were monitored using wrist actigraphy, and perceived sleep quality was assessed after awakening.
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Comparateur actif: Daytime Nap Control
Participants completed the control condition consisting of a 30-minute daytime nap performed at home between 14:00 and 15:00, without the preceding mental fatigue induction protocol.
Subjective sleepiness, perceived mental fatigue, nap characteristics, perceived sleep quality, and cognitive performance were assessed before and/or after the nap.
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Participants took a 30-minute daytime nap at home between 14:00 and 15:00, at least one hour after lunch, in a quiet and dimly lit room.
Nap characteristics were monitored using wrist actigraphy, and perceived sleep quality was assessed after awakening.
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Que mesure l'étude ?
Principaux critères de jugement
Mesure des résultats |
Description de la mesure |
Délai |
|---|---|---|
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Perceived mental fatigue
Délai: Before the nap, immediately after the nap, and 30 minutes after the nap in each experimental condition.
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Perceived mental fatigue was assessed using a 100-mm visual analogue scale for mental fatigue (VAS-MF), anchored from 0-mm "No mental fatigue" to 100-mm "Maximum mental fatigue."
Participants marked the point that best represented their perceived level of mental fatigue.
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Before the nap, immediately after the nap, and 30 minutes after the nap in each experimental condition.
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Mesures de résultats secondaires
Mesure des résultats |
Description de la mesure |
Délai |
|---|---|---|
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Subjective sleepiness
Délai: Before the nap, immediately after the nap, and 30 minutes after the nap
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Subjective sleepiness was assessed using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), a 9-point scale ranging from 1, "not sleepy at all," to 9, "extremely sleepy."
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Before the nap, immediately after the nap, and 30 minutes after the nap
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Flanker Task Reaction Time
Délai: 30 minutes after the nap in each experimental condition.
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Accuracy during the computerized Flanker task was calculated as the percentage of correct responses and used as an indicator of executive function performance.
Accuracy ranges from 0 to 100%.
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30 minutes after the nap in each experimental condition.
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Perceived Nap Sleep Quality
Délai: Immediately after the nap in each experimental condition.
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Perceived sleep quality after the nap was assessed using a 10-point Likert scale, from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating better perceived sleep quality.
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Immediately after the nap in each experimental condition.
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Actigraphy-Derived nap start time
Délai: During the 30-minute daytime nap in each experimental condition.
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Clock time at which the nap period begins, usually identified from the rest interval or sleep diary.
Nap start time is expressed as clock time, using the 24-hour format.
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During the 30-minute daytime nap in each experimental condition.
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Actigraphy-Derived nap time in bed
Délai: During the 30-minute daytime nap in each experimental condition.
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Total time spent in bed or within the defined nap/rest interval, from nap start time to nap end time.
Values are expressed in minutes.
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During the 30-minute daytime nap in each experimental condition.
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Actigraphy-Derived nap total sleep time
Délai: During the 30-minute daytime nap in each experimental condition.
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Total duration of epochs scored as sleep during the nap/rest interval.
Values are expressed in minutes.
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During the 30-minute daytime nap in each experimental condition.
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Actigraphy-Derived nap sleep onset latency
Délai: During the 30-minute daytime nap in each experimental condition.
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Time elapsed between nap start time and the first epoch scored as sleep.
Values are expressed in minutes.
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During the 30-minute daytime nap in each experimental condition.
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Actigraphy-Derived nap sleep efficiency
Délai: During the 30-minute daytime nap in each experimental condition.
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Sleep efficiency is expressed as a percentage, ranging from 0% to 100%, and is calculated as the ratio between total sleep time and time in bed multiplied by 100
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During the 30-minute daytime nap in each experimental condition.
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Actigraphy-Derived nap fragmentation index
Délai: During the 30-minute daytime nap in each experimental condition.
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An index reflecting sleep disruption or restlessness, based on movement and short immobility bouts during the sleep period.
Higher values indicate more fragmented sleep.
Fragmentation index is expressed as a percentage from 0% to 100%
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During the 30-minute daytime nap in each experimental condition.
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Collaborateurs et enquêteurs
C'est ici que vous trouverez les personnes et les organisations impliquées dans cette étude.
Publications et liens utiles
La personne responsable de la saisie des informations sur l'étude fournit volontairement ces publications. Il peut s'agir de tout ce qui concerne l'étude.
Publications générales
- Kaida K, Takahashi M, Akerstedt T, Nakata A, Otsuka Y, Haratani T, Fukasawa K. Validation of the Karolinska sleepiness scale against performance and EEG variables. Clin Neurophysiol. 2006 Jul;117(7):1574-81. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2006.03.011. Epub 2006 May 6.
- Van Cutsem J, Marcora S, De Pauw K, Bailey S, Meeusen R, Roelands B. The Effects of Mental Fatigue on Physical Performance: A Systematic Review. Sports Med. 2017 Aug;47(8):1569-1588. doi: 10.1007/s40279-016-0672-0.
- Marcora SM, Staiano W, Manning V. Mental fatigue impairs physical performance in humans. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2009 Mar;106(3):857-64. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.91324.2008. Epub 2009 Jan 8.
- Macari M, Pela IR, Silva CA, Viana RS. Fever response induced by intravenous and intracerebroventricular injection of pyrogen in thyroidectomised and protein-calorie malnourished rabbits. Pflugers Arch. 1990 Jan;415(4):440-3. doi: 10.1007/BF00373621.
- Mesas AE, Nunez de Arenas-Arroyo S, Martinez-Vizcaino V, Garrido-Miguel M, Fernandez-Rodriguez R, Bizzozero-Peroni B, Torres-Costoso AI. Is daytime napping an effective strategy to improve sport-related cognitive and physical performance and reduce fatigue? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Sports Med. 2023 Apr;57(7):417-426. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2022-106355. Epub 2023 Jan 23.
- Lastella M, Halson SL, Vitale JA, Memon AR, Vincent GE. To Nap or Not to Nap? A Systematic Review Evaluating Napping Behavior in Athletes and the Impact on Various Measures of Athletic Performance. Nat Sci Sleep. 2021 Jun 24;13:841-862. doi: 10.2147/NSS.S315556. eCollection 2021.
Dates d'enregistrement des études
Ces dates suivent la progression des dossiers d'étude et des soumissions de résultats sommaires à ClinicalTrials.gov. Les dossiers d'étude et les résultats rapportés sont examinés par la Bibliothèque nationale de médecine (NLM) pour s'assurer qu'ils répondent à des normes de contrôle de qualité spécifiques avant d'être publiés sur le site Web public.
Dates principales de l'étude
Début de l'étude (Réel)
11 janvier 2021
Achèvement primaire (Réel)
15 mai 2021
Achèvement de l'étude (Réel)
15 mai 2021
Dates d'inscription aux études
Première soumission
28 avril 2026
Première soumission répondant aux critères de contrôle qualité
5 mai 2026
Première publication (Réel)
12 mai 2026
Mises à jour des dossiers d'étude
Dernière mise à jour publiée (Réel)
12 mai 2026
Dernière mise à jour soumise répondant aux critères de contrôle qualité
5 mai 2026
Dernière vérification
1 mai 2026
Plus d'information
Termes liés à cette étude
Termes MeSH pertinents supplémentaires
Autres numéros d'identification d'étude
- Nap&Run01
Plan pour les données individuelles des participants (IPD)
Prévoyez-vous de partager les données individuelles des participants (DPI) ?
NON
Description du régime IPD
Individual participant data will not be made publicly available.
Data supporting the findings of this study may be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Informations sur les médicaments et les dispositifs, documents d'étude
Étudie un produit pharmaceutique réglementé par la FDA américaine
Non
Étudie un produit d'appareil réglementé par la FDA américaine
Non
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