Power Naps

Whether it be hockey, volleyball, or cross country running, the dawn of a new season undoubtedly means some high intensity bouts of testing and competition. Optimizing your recovery will help ensure you’re showing your best self at the season’s start and help you get into a routine conducive to top play. A study published last month in Research in Sports Medicine highlighted the utility of a 40-minute nap on repeated sprint performance (5m shuttle run test), muscle damage and inflammatory markers. Compared to a without a nap, the napping condition resulted in greater distance covered (p<.001, D+7.2%), lower markers of muscle damage (CK, LDH, ASAT, and ALAT) and lower inflammation (CRP) (p<.05) (Boukhris et al., 2021). Further to that, perceived recovery, rate of perceived exertion and delayed-onset muscle soreness all improved (p<.01) when preceded by a nap.

If you’re concerned you didn’t have a good night’s rest prior to competition or you’re feeling tired in general, don’t underestimate the restorative and performance-enhancing effects of even a little power nap. It’s likely time well spent and will give you a welcomed boost when the whistle blows.