Medications for Sleep Schedule Adjustments in Athletes.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the role of melatonin in facilitating sleep schedule changes and enhancing sports performance in athletes.
Results Summary
The study found that melatonin, along with caffeine and nonbenzodiazepine sleep aids, can help athletes adjust their sleep schedules and improve performance. However, data specific to athletes is limited, and conclusions were partly drawn from studies on shift workers and airline personnel.
Population
Athletes, with supplementary evidence from shift workers and airline personnel.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Melatonin | increase | sleep schedule changes | athletes | - | have a role in facilitating sleep schedule changes | #1 |
Caffeine | increase | sleep schedule changes | athletes | - | have a role in facilitating sleep schedule changes | #2 |
Nonbenzodiazepine sleep aids | increase | sleep schedule changes | athletes | - | have a role in facilitating sleep schedule changes | #3 |
Melatonin | increase | sports performance | athletes | - | maximizing sports performance | #4 |
Caffeine | increase | sports performance | athletes | - | maximizing sports performance | #5 |
Nonbenzodiazepine sleep aids | increase | sports performance | athletes | - | maximizing sports performance | #6 |
CONTEXT: Sleep schedule adjustments are common requirements of modern-day athletes. Many nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic strategies exist to facilitate circadian rhythm shifts to maximize alertness and performance during competition. This review summarizes the evidence for commonly used pharmacologic agents and presents recommendations for the sports medicine provider. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: MEDLINE searches were performed using the following keywords: sleep aids, circadian rhythm adjustment, athletes and sleep, caffeine and sports, melatonin and athletes, and sleep aids and sports. Pertinent articles were extracted and discussed. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2. RESULTS: There are very few available studies investigating pharmacologic sleep aids in athletes. Data from studies involving shift workers and airline personnel are more abundant and were used to formulate recommendations and conclusions. CONCLUSION: Melatonin, caffeine, and nonbenzodiazepine sleep aids have a role in facilitating sleep schedule changes in athletes and maximizing sports performance through sleep enhancement.