Since 2022, running has become incredibly popular in France. There are now 12.4 million runners in the country, 8 million of whom run at least once a week. But this high-impact sport often leads to injuries.Up to 90% of runners are injured at some point, costing the global economy millions of dollars each year.“remind us of Jan de Jonge, a work and sports psychologist at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, and an associate professor at the University of South Australia, and Toon Taris, a professor at Utrecht University.
Behind this risk? Irregularity, excessive exertion, or even poor equipment. A previous study, published earlier this year in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed that a single session was enough to cause an injury.
It is therefore all the more important to create the right conditions before starting to run. And the work of scientists at the University of South Australia highlights the importance of adequate rest before training.While runners focus specifically on mileage, nutrition, and recovery strategies, sleep tends to take a back seat."The researchers lamented in a statement. Their results were published in the journal Applied Sciences.
Four types of runners stand out.
In a survey, 425 runners answered questions about their lifestyle habits: sleep, training characteristics, recovery, etc. Sleep in particular was assessed in terms of duration, perceived quality, and any potential disorders.We were surprised to identify four very clear and interpretable profiles after analyzing the results.“ explains Jan de Jonge during an interview for Science and FutureOn the one hand, the “regular sleepers” (481 of the participants) benefited from an average sleep duration and good sleep quality, with few disturbances. Conversely, the “poor sleepers” constituted 371 of the sample and combined short sleep duration and poor sleep quality. The third profile, the “efficient sleepers” (81 of the participants), was characterized by high sleep quality. Finally, the last profile, the “fragmented sleepers,” covered 71 of the sample and presented with sleep disturbances but an adequate sleep duration.
Read alsoThe impact of sleep on the immune system
Analysis of their results revealed a group particularly vulnerable to injury: "poor sleepers," for whom the risk was nearly twice as high as for "regular sleepers."The probability of sports injuries for the group of poor sleepers was 68 %,“ adds Jan de Jonge. Beyond training rhythm and nutrition, sleep health therefore plays a key role in injury prevention: below eight hours of sleep, the risk of injury increases considerably according to the results of this study.
Researchers' recommendations
“It is advisable to maintain regular bedtimes, minimize screen time before bed, reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption, and create a calm and cool sleep environment.“advise the researchers in a statement.
For ideal sleep duration, aim for 7 to 9 hours per night. Daytime naps lasting a maximum of 20 to 90 minutes, between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM, can also be beneficial.Short naps can help minimize the effects of sleep inertia, while longer naps can allow running athletes to complete a full sleep cycle, thus promoting deeper recovery." summarizes Jan de Jonge. Researchers are contributing to the growing body of knowledge on the benefits of sufficient and quality sleep.
English 
French