New Study Reveals Poor Sleep Doubles Running Injury Risk

For millions of recreational runners everywhere, getting in some miles is a process that must be undertaken in the early morning before work, or later in the evening once the day has settled down, but new data shows that lacing up the sneakers while lacking quality sleep could double your chances of sustaining an injury. The new study, published in Applied Sciences, found that runners who pounded the pavement on poor sleep faced around twice the injury risk of those who were rested up, leading the experts to suggest that runners should put as much emphasis on rest as they do into training.

While running is great for both the heart and the mind, preventing injury in the 620 million people globally who love to go for a lap is of significant interest in terms of alleviating the strain on our health services and maintaining our own productivity. Those who run regularly tend to lead more positive lifestyles, making better dietary choices and enjoying a reduction in stress, but few studies have looked closely at the link between running injuries and inadequate sleep.

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“While runners specifically focus on mileage, nutrition, and recovery strategies, sleep tends to fall to the bottom of the list,” explained Professor Jan de Jonge, a sports psychologist at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, and the studies’ lead author.

How was the Study Carried Out?

425 experienced Dutch recreational runners with an average age of 45yrs had their sleep profiles analyzed and placed into four distinct groups:

• Steady Sleepers (48%)
• Poor Sleepers (37%)
• Efficient Sleepers (8%)
• Fragmented Sleepers (7%)

The runners were then asked to provide details on running injuries suffered, with 60% of all participants reporting some type of injury in the past year.

What were the Results?

The relationship between running injuries and rest was laid out clearly by the results, showing that the greater the sleep problems, the higher risk of getting hurt. Poor sleepers had an 80% higher chance of getting injured when compared to the steady sleeper group. In fact, the experts believe that the poor sleeper group have a 68% probability of getting injured if they continue to run without rest. “Sleep quality and sleep duration are both important, but quantity often provides the bedrock,” concluded Professor Jan de Jonge. “In summary, sleep should be recognized not only as a recovery tool, but also as a potential predictor of injury vulnerability in recreational sports.”