Since I mentionned I was having an extreme lack of sleep lately, I was curious to read about the subject a little more. As expected, turns out it’s much much more than just having burning eyes.
Oviously I found some lenghtly, very detailed research on this subject… but here’s a little abstract from an article I read that keeps it basic:
Sleep Deprivation Can Hinder Sports Performance
Most of what we know about sleep deprivation has to do with immune function and brain function. This study is interesting because it shows that sleep deprivation can negatively impact physiology that is critical for athletic performance — glucose metabolism and cortisol status. While no one completely understands the complexities of sleep, this (and other research) indicates that sleep deprivation can lead to increased levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), decreased activity of human growth hormone (which is active during tissue repair), and decreased glycogen sunthesis.
Other studies link sleep deprivation with decreased aerobic endurance and increased ratings of perceived exertion.
