The Restorative Role of Daytime Naps in Mentally Fatigued Endurance Athletes (Nap&Run)
5 mei 2026 bijgewerkt door: 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.
Studie Overzicht
Toestand
Voltooid
Interventie / Behandeling
Studietype
Ingrijpend
Inschrijving (Werkelijk)
11
Fase
- Niet toepasbaar
Contacten en locaties
In dit gedeelte vindt u de contactgegevens van degenen die het onderzoek uitvoeren en informatie over waar dit onderzoek wordt uitgevoerd.
Studie Locaties
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Milan, Italië
- University of Milan
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Deelname Criteria
Onderzoekers zoeken naar mensen die aan een bepaalde beschrijving voldoen, de zogenaamde geschiktheidscriteria. Enkele voorbeelden van deze criteria zijn iemands algemene gezondheidstoestand of eerdere behandelingen.
Geschiktheidscriteria
Leeftijden die in aanmerking komen voor studie
- Volwassen
Accepteert gezonde vrijwilligers
Nee
Beschrijving
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
Studie plan
Dit gedeelte bevat details van het studieplan, inclusief hoe de studie is opgezet en wat de studie meet.
Hoe is de studie opgezet?
Ontwerpdetails
- Primair doel: Behandeling
- Toewijzing: Gerandomiseerd
- Interventioneel model: Crossover-opdracht
- Masker: Enkel
Wapens en interventies
Deelnemersgroep / Arm |
Interventie / Behandeling |
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Experimenteel: 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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Actieve vergelijker: 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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Wat meet het onderzoek?
Primaire uitkomstmaten
Uitkomstmaat |
Maatregel Beschrijving |
Tijdsspanne |
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Perceived mental fatigue
Tijdsspanne: 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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Secundaire uitkomstmaten
Uitkomstmaat |
Maatregel Beschrijving |
Tijdsspanne |
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Subjective sleepiness
Tijdsspanne: 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
Tijdsspanne: 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
Tijdsspanne: 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
Tijdsspanne: 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
Tijdsspanne: 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
Tijdsspanne: 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
Tijdsspanne: 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
Tijdsspanne: 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
Tijdsspanne: 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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Medewerkers en onderzoekers
Hier vindt u mensen en organisaties die betrokken zijn bij dit onderzoek.
Publicaties en nuttige links
De persoon die verantwoordelijk is voor het invoeren van informatie over het onderzoek stelt deze publicaties vrijwillig ter beschikking. Dit kan gaan over alles wat met het onderzoek te maken heeft.
Algemene publicaties
- 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.
Studie record data
Deze datums volgen de voortgang van het onderzoeksdossier en de samenvatting van de ingediende resultaten bij ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieverslagen en gerapporteerde resultaten worden beoordeeld door de National Library of Medicine (NLM) om er zeker van te zijn dat ze voldoen aan specifieke kwaliteitscontrolenormen voordat ze op de openbare website worden geplaatst.
Bestudeer belangrijke data
Studie start (Werkelijk)
11 januari 2021
Primaire voltooiing (Werkelijk)
15 mei 2021
Studie voltooiing (Werkelijk)
15 mei 2021
Studieregistratiedata
Eerst ingediend
28 april 2026
Eerst ingediend dat voldeed aan de QC-criteria
5 mei 2026
Eerst geplaatst (Werkelijk)
12 mei 2026
Updates van studierecords
Laatste update geplaatst (Werkelijk)
12 mei 2026
Laatste update ingediend die voldeed aan QC-criteria
5 mei 2026
Laatst geverifieerd
1 mei 2026
Meer informatie
Termen gerelateerd aan deze studie
Trefwoorden
Aanvullende relevante MeSH-voorwaarden
Andere studie-ID-nummers
- Nap&Run01
Plan Individuele Deelnemersgegevens (IPD)
Bent u van plan om gegevens van individuele deelnemers (IPD) te delen?
NEE
Beschrijving IPD-plan
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.
Informatie over medicijnen en apparaten, studiedocumenten
Bestudeert een door de Amerikaanse FDA gereguleerd geneesmiddel
Nee
Bestudeert een door de Amerikaanse FDA gereguleerd apparaatproduct
Nee
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