Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34194254›Full record

ReviewNature and science of sleep2021

To Nap or Not to Nap? A Systematic Review Evaluating Napping Behavior in Athletes and the Impact on Various Measures of Athletic Performance.

Michele Lastella, Shona L Halson, Jacopo A Vitale, Aamir R Memon, Grace E Vincent

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Nature and science of sleep, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07580131 (The Restorative Role of Daytime Naps in Mentally Fatigued Endurance Athletes), which is not on this map. Cited by 72 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
72citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
13.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07580131 nacompletednot on this map

The Restorative Role of Daytime Naps in Mentally Fatigued Endurance Athletes: a Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorL.U.de.S. SaglRan2021 to 2021Enrolled11ConditionsMental Fatigue, Sleep, Endurance Exercise, Daytime NappingArmsMental Fatigue Induction Protocol, Daytime Nap
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

72 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 119 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Trial
  10. Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Review

12 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Michele LastellaAppleton Institute for Behavioural Science, Central Queensland University, Adelaide, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-1793-3811
Shona L HalsonSchool of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-1047-3878
Jacopo A VitaleLaboratory of Movement and Sport Science, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7537-079X
Aamir R MemonInstitute of Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, Peoples University of Medical & Health Sciences for Women, Nawabshah, Shaheed Benazirabad, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0002-3203-418X
Grace E VincentAppleton Institute for Behavioural Science, Central Queensland University, Adelaide, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7036-7823
Central Queensland University · AUAustralian Catholic University · AUIstituto Ortopedico Galeazzi · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe objective of this systematic review was to 1) determine how studies evaluated napping behavior in athletes (frequency, duration, timing and measurement); 2) explore how napping impacted physical performance, cognitive performance, perceptual measures (eg, fatigue, muscle soreness, sleepiness and alertness), psychological state and night-time sleep in athletes.

methodsFive bibliographic databases were searched from database inception to 11 August 2020. Observational and experimental studies comprising able-bodied athletes (mean age ≥12 years), published in English, in peer-reviewed journal papers were included. The Downs and Black Quality Assessment Checklist was used for quality appraisal.

resultsThirty-seven studies were identified of moderate quality. Most studies did not include consistent information regarding nap frequency, duration, and timing. Napping may be beneficial for a range of outcomes that benefit athletes (eg, physical and cognitive performance, perceptual measures, psychological state and night-time sleep). In addition, napping presents athletes with the opportunity to supplement their night-time sleep without compromising sleep quality.

conclusionAthletes may consider napping between 20 to 90 min in duration and between 13:00 and 16:00 hours. Finally, athletes should allow 30 min to reduce sleep inertia prior to training or competition to obtain better performance outcomes. Future studies should include comprehensive recordings of nap duration and quality, and consider using sleep over a 24 hour period (daytime naps and night-time sleep period), specifically using objective methods of sleep assessment (eg, polysomnography/actigraphy).

Indexed as

athletehealth behaviorperformancephysical healthpsychological healthsleepsports

Identifiers

PMID34194254
PMCPMC8238550
OpenAlexW3174883171

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.