Media release

From: Society for Neuroscience

Exploring why some athletes perform better than others under stress

Following sleep deprivation, competitive athletes with strong attention control can continue to perform well over time, despite their stress from lack of sleep.

Lack of sleep and stress hinder athletic performance, but some athletes may be better at performing competitively despite sleep issues and stress. Researchers led by Yan Sun, from Peking University, looked for predictive behavioral and neural markers in athletes who maintain their performance level following sleep deprivation and under stress.

The researchers assessed college and professional athletes’ stress levels and cognitive changes after 24 h of sleep deprivation, then followed their competitive performances for up to 2 months. Increased anxiety and stress hormone levels from lack of sleep did not predict athletic performance in competitions. However, how much control athletes had over their attention could predict how at risk they were for worsened athletic performance. The researchers also identified a brain signal involved in impaired attentional control from sleep deprivation that could potentially predict worsened athletic performance.

According to the authors, this work suggests that overnight sleep deprivation is a stressor that those with stronger attentional control may be more easily able to overcome as they perform over time. According to Sun, “Cognitive predictors after sleep deprivation could help athletes and coaches to monitor training states, manage stress more effectively to enhance performance, or adjust athlete participation arrangements.”