When to use this
When an athlete reports poor sleep, dead legs, or late-night scavenging and the evening routine is the likely cause.
- Practice ends late and athletes are going to bed without a recovery snack or a real dinner.
- An athlete blames sleep for flat training while the food gap from practice to bed goes unexamined.
- Parents are asking what their runner should eat at night instead of energy drinks and 10 p.m. snack runs.
Evidence sources
These references support the handout’s general education. Individual medical, supplement, laboratory, or injury questions should be handled by the appropriate qualified clinician.
- Milewski MD, Skaggs DL, Bishop GA, et al.(2014) Chronic lack of sleep is associated with increased sports injuries in adolescent athletes.
- Burke LM, van Loon LJ, Hawley JA. (2017) Postexercise muscle glycogen resynthesis in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, 122(5):1055-1067.
Where to go next
