Authored by: Gavin Rackard

Elite athletes consistently fall short of the self-assessed requirement of 8.3 hours of sleep nightly (1), facing unique challenges from training demands and travel that impair recovery, immunity, and performance. This scoping review mapped the nutrition strategies that enhance sleep quality and quantity in these high-performing athletes.

Sleep disturbances affect 50-78% of elite athletes, disrupting hormone balance, muscle repair, and injury risk (2). While nutrition’s role in sleep is emerging, elite athletes and their distinct physiological and psychological needs (3) are often overlooked. The review’s objectives were to systematically evaluate the evidence on nutrient strategies that promote sleep, assess methodological quality using the NUtrition QUality Evaluation Strengthening Tools (NUQEST) (4), gauge practical applicability with the Paper-to-Podium Matrix (5), and identify future research gaps.

After screening, 12 studies remained. Kiwifruit (2 kiwis or 130g 1h pre-bed) (6) improved sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and quality; tart cherry juice improved time in bed and reduced awakenings (7) and high dairy intake was linked to better subjective sleep but only in females (8). Protein/tryptophan supplements showed limited gains, possibly due to a “ceiling effect” in athletes exceeding an intake of 2.5g/kg body mass (9). Meeting energy needs and optimal micronutrients (zinc, iron, B12) supported sleep, while high pre-bed carbohydrate yielded mixed results.

Higher milk/dairy intake (5-7 times/week) linked to better sleep quality in elite female Japanese athletes pre-2016 Olympics, but not males (8). Hypothetically, dairy’s tryptophan content boosts serotonin/melatonin synthesis and can be transported across the blood-brain barrier. It may be more effective in females in this study, due to lower baseline protein intakes. This sex-specific effect held after confounders like sleep duration. Casein’s slow amino acid release may also support overnight recovery.

Non-elite athletes may derive broader benefits from these strategies, but elite-specific stressors amplify sleep needs. Practitioners should tailor advice, prioritising energy balance and dairy for females.

Read full scoping review here.

References:

1. Sargent, C.; Lastella, M.; Halson, S.L.; Roach, G.D. How Much Sleep Does an Elite Athlete Need? Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform. 2021, 16, 1746–1757. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
2. Walsh, N.P.; Halson, S.L.; Sargent, C.; Roach, G.D.; Nédélec, M.; Gupta, L.; Leeder, J.; Fullagar, H.H.; Coutts, A.J.; Edwards, B.J.; et al. Sleep and the Athlete: Narrative Review and 2021 Expert Consensus Recommendations. Br. J. Sports Med. 2021, 55, 356–368. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
3. Lorenz, D.S.; Reiman, M.P.; Lehecka, B.J.; Naylor, A. What Performance Characteristics Determine Elite Versus Nonelite Athletes in the Same Sport? Sports Health Multidiscip. Approach 2013, 5, 542–547. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
4. Kelly, S.E.; Greene-Finestone, L.S.; Yetley, E.A.; Benkhedda, K.; Brooks, S.P.; Wells, G.A.; MacFarlane, A.J. NUQUEST—NUtrition QUality Evaluation Strengthening Tools: Development of Tools for the Evaluation of Risk of Bias in Nutrition Studies. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2022, 115, 256–271. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
5. Close, G.L.; Kasper, A.M.; Morton, J.P. From Paper to Podium: Quantifying the Translational Potential of Performance Nutrition Research. Sports Med. 2019, 49, 25–37. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
6. Doherty, R.; Madigan, S.; Nevill, A.; Warrington, G.; Ellis, J.G. The Impact of Kiwifruit Consumption on the Sleep and Recovery of Elite Athletes. Nutrients 2023, 15, 2274. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. Chung, J.; Choi, M.; Lee, K. Effects of Short-Term Intake of Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice on Sleep Quality after Intermittent Exercise in Elite Female Field Hockey Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 10272. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. Yasuda, J.; Yoshizaki, T.; Yamamoto, K.; Yoshino, M.; Ota, M.; Kawahara, T.; Kamei, A. Association of Frequency of Milk or Dairy Product Consumption with Subjective Sleep Quality during Training Periods in Japanese Elite Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study. J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol. 2019, 65, 177–183. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
9. Ferguson, C.; Aisbett, B.; Lastella, M.; Roberts, S.; Condo, D. Evening Whey Protein Intake, Rich in Tryptophan, and Sleep in Elite Male Australian Rules Football Players on Training and Nontraining Days. Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab. 2022, 32, 82–88. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]

About the Author:

Gavin Rackard is a PhD Researcher in Atlantic Technological University, SENR-registered Performance Nutritionist and ISESA Accredited Advanced Sport Scientist with a decade of experience in high-performance sport. He holds an MSc in Sport and Exercise Nutrition from Leeds Beckett University and a BA in Exercise and Health Studies. He is in Year 2 of his PhD, and his current research focuses on the role of nutrition interventions, such as tart cherry juice, kiwifruit, and macronutrient strategies, in promoting sleep and recovery in elite athletes and support staff.