Search

This study presents the sleep characteristics of British student‐athletes and examines the relationships between sport scheduling and time demands on sleep outcomes. Student‐athletes (n = 157, 51% male) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI). Self‐reported sleep characteristics on weekdays and weekends, weekly frequencies of early morning and late evening sport sessions, and academic‐related and sport‐related time demands were also collected. Questionnaires revealed a high prevalence of undesired sleep characteristics including poor sleep quality (global PSQI >5 in 49.0%) and low sleep durations on weekdays (25% reporting <7 h). Paired t‐tests revealed significant differences in bedtime, waketime, sleep duration, and sleep onset latency between weekdays and weekends (all p < 0.01). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that early morning sport frequency was a significant predictor of PSQI (β = 0.30) and SHI (β = 0.24) global scores, weekday waketimes (β = −0.17), and weekday sleep durations (β = −0.25; all p < 0.05) in models adjusted for participant characteristics. Late evening sport frequency, and academic‐related and sport‐related time demands, were not significant predictors of any sleep outcome. Adjusting sport scheduling to avoid early start times could provide a means to improve sleep outcomes and may improve sporting performance and academic attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Static assessment and grouping of riders by competition level are prevalent in equestrian coaching practice and research. This study explored sagittal pelvic tilt in 35 competitive dressage riders to analyse the relationship between static and dynamic postures and assess the interaction of competition level. Riders were assessed using optical motion capture on a riding simulator at halt and in walk, trot, and left and right canter. Mean, minimum and maximum pelvic tilt, and range of motion (ROM) were measured as the pitch rotation of a rigid body formed by markers placed on the rider's left/right anterior and posterior superior iliac spines and sacrum, averaged over six time-normalised strides. Three key results emerged: (1) there are correlations between the rider's mean pelvic tilt in simulated walk, trot and canter, but not at halt; (2) mean pelvic tilt values are not significantly influenced by competition level (p = 0.233); and (3) the minimum and maximum pelvic tilt values illustrate individual strategies between gaits. Therefore, results from static assessment and grouping of riders by competition level should be interpreted with caution. Riders should be assessed as individuals, during dynamic riding-specific tasks, to understand their postural strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]