Michele Lastella

• PhD Sleep and Exercise Psychology
• Lecturer at Central Queensland University

Abstract This investigation examined precompetitive sleep behaviour of 103 athletes and how it relates to precompetitive mood and subsequent performance. Results revealed that on the night before competition athletes slept well under the recommended target of eight hours of sleep for healthy adults, with almost 70% of athletes experiencing poorer s...

Abstract Sleep is an essential component for athlete recovery due to its physiological and psychological restorative effects, yet few studies have explored the habitual sleep/wake behaviour of elite athletes. The aims of the present study were to investigate the habitual sleep/wake behaviour of elite athletes, and to compare the differences in slee...

The aims of this study were (i) to compare the chronotype distribution of elite athletes to a young adult population and (ii) to determine if there was a tendency for athletes to select and/or participate in sports which suited their chronotype. A total of 114 elite athletes from five sports (cricket, cycling, hockey, soccer and triathlon) particip...

Abstract Good sleep is critical for optimising recovery and athletic performance. Yet, few studies have investigated how athletes sleep before and during competition. The aim of this study was to determine whether such sleep is poorer than that before a usual training day. Twenty-one male endurance cyclists' (age: 19.9 ± 1.7 years) sleep/wake behav...

Aim: Professional cycling is considered one of the most demanding of all endurance sports. The three major professional cycling stages races (i.e. Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España) require cyclists to compete daily covering between ~150 - 200 km for three consecutive weeks. Anecdotal evidence indicates that such an event has a sig...

Background: Many athletes experience sleep difficulties, and prior research within this cohort suggests that acute supplementation of alpha-lactalbumin (ALAC), a whey protein rich in the amino acid tryptophan, may improve sleep and performance. Therefore, this study investigated whether sub-chronic ALAC supplementation in the evening would improve...

The aim of this study was to examine sleep timing across the lifespan of Australian adults. A cross-sectional design was used to collect information on subjective sleep timing from 1225 participants (52.3% female) during a telephone interview. The participants were aged from 18 to over 80 and were grouped according to their age using 10-year increm...

In recent years, the growing interest in understanding how athletes sleep has boosted the number of scientific studies on the topic. In fact, athletes and coaches have ranked sleep as the most important recovery strategy. However, athletes often spend nights in unfamiliar environments during training camps that may disrupt sleep. Therefore, the pur...

Evening consumption of a whey protein rich in the amino acid tryptophan, alpha-lactalbumin (ALAC), has previously shown to benefit sleep—particularly among poor sleepers. Given trained populations often experience sleep difficulty, this study investigated whether evening supplementation of ALAC would influence sleep outcomes, mood, and next-day cog...

INTRODUCTION: Training loads and daily schedules are referred to as relevant sports factors that influence athletes sleep [1]. Yet, data examining training loads or daily schedules in young football players is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the sleep habits and needs of young football players, analyzing the differences between micr...

Background The growing interest in understanding how athletes sleep has boosted the number of scientific studies on the topic. In fact, athletes and coaches generally rank sleep as one of the most important recovery strategies. However, athletes often spend nights in unfamiliar environments during training camps that may disrupt sleep. Objective T...

Insufficient sleep is a growing global problem, with poor sleep associated with many negative health and performance outcomes. Previous reviews investigating the effect of diet on sleep have highlighted the amino acid tryptophan as a promising sleep‐promoting nutrient, with the richest food source of tryptophan, ⍺‐lactalbumin, requiring further inv...

Objective: Insufficient sleep, and particularly difficulties initiating sleep, are prevalent in the community. Treatment for poor sleep typically consists of pharmacological intervention, or cognitive behavioural therapies - which can be both costly and time-consuming. Evidence suggests that sexual activities may positively impact sleep. However, l...

Athlete chronotype has been documented to underpin diurnal variations in skill execution across various team sports. However, no research has explored the effects of athlete chronotype on basketball-specific skills at different times of the day. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore diurnal variations in basketball shooting accuracy accor...

Introduction: Recent sleep guidelines regarding evening exercise have shifted from a conservative (i.e., do not exercise in the evening) to a more nuanced approach (i.e., exercise may not be detrimental to sleep in circumstances). With the increasing popularity of wearable technology, information regarding exercise and sleep are readily available t...

Background Sleep is essential for maximal performance in the athletic population. Despite that, the sport context has many factors that can negatively influence athletes’ sleep and subsequent recovery. Objectives The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize the most recent literature regarding sleep interventions aimed at improving slee...

INTRODUCTION: Sleep is recognised as an essential component to athletic performance and recovery. Yet, compared to general recommendations, and their self-reported sleep needs, athletes typically obtain less than the recommended, which can negatively impact performance, recovery, and health. Previous data have examined sleep needs across multiple s...

Whilst understanding the social norms of trash talking is an emerging field of research, the extent to how esport consumers perceive its practice in esports is currently limited. Guided by Chung and Rimal (2016) framework to identify how social norms and moderating attributes influence behaviour, this study investigated consumers perceptions of tra...

Much like traditional sports, esports are susceptible to unsportsmanlike behavior. The first-person shooter (FPS) genre of esports offers proxy views of the world which may promote vicarious gaming with unsportsmanlike conduct impacting spectator experiences. Determining the acceptability of different kinds of player conduct within esports, as well...

As many as 80% of women report experiencing poor sleep throughout pregnancy. Exercise is associated with many health benefits during pregnancy and is established as a non-pharmacological method to improve sleep in both pregnant and non-pregnant populations. Given the importance of sleep and exercise during pregnancy, the aim of this cross-sectional...

Esports, much like conventional sports, are guided by social norms that determine the acceptability or unacceptability of certain behaviors. One act guided by social norms is trash talk. However, understanding its practice has been difficult due to the various definitions of its use. Focusing on the first-person shooter genre, this study aimed to u...

Purpose: To examine the effect of match schedule on self-reported wellness and sleep in rugby union referees during the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Methods: Following an observational design, 18 international-level male referees participating in the 2019 Rugby World Cup completed a daily questionnaire to quantify wellness status (sleep quality, mood,...

Although social acceptance of same sex parenting in Australia has improved, prejudice toward same sex parented families still exists. Using the contact hypothesis as a theoretical framework, the aim of this mixed methods study was to investigate the influence that personal contact with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQ...

Many athletic populations report poor sleep, especially during intensive training and competition periods. Recently, diet has been shown to significantly affect sleep in general populations; however, little is known about the effect diet has on the sleep of athletically trained populations. With sleep critical for optimal recovery and sports perfor...

The aim of this study was to examine sleep/wake behaviour and sleep strategies before, during and after ultra-marathon running events exceeding 100 miles (161 km). A total of 119 athletes completed a web-based questionnaire regarding their habitual sleep/wake behaviour before, during, and after ultra-marathon participation. Event-specific data were...

Chronotype can be defined as an overt expression of circadian rhythmicity in an individual that dictates tendencies towards being a morning or evening person - also referred to as 'morningness' or 'eveningness.' Chronotypes generally impact preferred bed and wake times, in addition to a range of personal and social factors. This study examined how...

A case study comparing sleep in shared and individual rooms during a training camp in elite youth soccer players

Purpose: This study examined the impact of sleep inertia on physical, cognitive, and subjective performance immediately after a 1- or 2-hour afternoon nap opportunity. Methods: Twelve well-trained male athletes completed 3 conditions in a randomized, counterbalanced order-9 hours in bed overnight without a nap opportunity the next day (9 + 0), 8...

Context Athletes' sleep is the most important recovery strategy and has received growing attention. However, athletes may experience sleep disruptions due to numerous factors, such as training and competition workloads, travel, changes in sleep-wake schedules, and sleeping environments. They often spend nights in unfamiliar hotels, and sharing a be...

The aim of this study was to examine the sleep–wake behaviour of 200-mile ultra-marathon runners before, during, and after a competition. A longitudinal, observational study was conducted to collect the sleep data of four (two females; mean age: 45.5 ± 3.1 years) runners competing in a 200-mile ultra-marathon (N = 4). Wrist-worn activity monitors,...

This study examined the relationships between physical fitness attributes and match demands in lead rugby union referees. Eleven referees underwent anthropometric and fitness assessments (40-m sprint, Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test, 1.2-km shuttle run) prior to the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Match activities were assessed via global positioning system...

The current study examined the possible relationships between one-off single night sleep metrics and subsequent kicking performance in a youth soccer context. Twenty-eight under-17 academy players (15.9±0.8 years-old) completed a kick testing protocol consisting in 20 attempts, 18 m from the goal and against a goalkeeper. Four digital video cameras...

Introduction Female practitioners are often subjected to inappropriate patient sexual behaviour (IPSB). Adverse consequences of such sexual harassment include for the practitioner psychological stress effects and negative work-related consequences that contributes to career dissatisfaction and burnout. Confronting the issue within the healthcare co...

Sport-specific skills display diurnal variation across various team sports such as badminton and tennis serving accuracy and soccer dribbling, volleying, and chipping execution. However, the effects of athlete chronotype on in-game sport-specific skill performance according to time of day across team sports is not well understood. Therefore, the ai...

Objective Sleep is important for athlete health and performance; however, the relationship between diet and sleep in elite female athletes is not well understood. This study examined associations between energy, macronutrient and micronutrient intakes, and sleep in elite female Australian footballers. Design Prospective cohort study. Method Thirt...

This study examined the effectiveness of a circadian adaptation schedule in male cricketers after an 8.5 h eastward time zone change. Ten participants (aged 18.7 ± 0.9 y) were randomly assigned to a control group or an intervention group. Participants in the intervention group followed a light exposure schedule in which they were instructed to seek...

The Covid-19 outbreak forced many governments to enter a nationwide lockdown. The aim of this study was to evaluate, by means of a survey, changes in sleep parameters and physical activity characteristics of elite track and field athletes in three periods: before the lockdown (T0), during the lockdown (09th March – 03rd May 2020, T1) and the first...

The primary aims of the present study were to examine the impact of chronotype on sleep/wake behaviour, perceived exertion, and training load among professional footballers. Thirty-six elite female professional football player’s (mean ± SD: age, 25 ± 4 y; weight, 68 ± 7 kg) sleep and training behaviours were examined for 10 consecutive nights durin...

Sargent, C, Lastella, M, Schwerdt, S, and Roach, GD. An individualized intervention increases sleep duration in professional athletes. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2021-Athletes typically obtain less sleep than is generally recommended for healthy adults. The aim of this study was to determine whether individualized feedback could increase s...

Athletes are increasingly required to travel domestically and internationally, often resulting in travel fatigue and jet lag. Despite considerable agreement that travel fatigue and jet lag can be a real and impactful issue for athletes regarding performance and risk of illness and injury, evidence on optimal assessment and management is lacking. Th...

Purpose The objective of this systematic review was to 1) determine how studies evaluated napping behavior in athletes (frequency, duration, timing and measurement); 2) explore how napping impacted physical performance, cognitive performance, perceptual measures (eg, fatigue, muscle soreness, sleepiness and alertness), psychological state and night...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of Ramadan fasting on sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in team sport referees. Seventy-eight male amateur team sport referees (age: 31.1 ± 10.8 years) participated in this study. Participants responded to the Arabic version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth sleep...

The aims of this study were to: (1) compare actigraphy (ACTICAL) and a commercially available sleep wearable (i.e., WHOOP) under two functionalities (i.e., sleep auto-detection (WHOOP-AUTO) and manual adjustment of sleep (WHOOP-MANUAL)) for two-stage categorisation of sleep (sleep or wake) against polysomnography, and; (2) compare WHOOP-AUTO and WH...

Trash talking is a contentious and prevalent practice in traditional sports but few studies have examined its practice in esports – a computer-mediated form of sports competition in videogaming. This study used practice theory to identify different forms and dialectical relationships of trash talking in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive . Fifty hour...

Purpose: Anecdotal reports indicate that many elite athletes are dissatisfied with their sleep, but little is known about their actual sleep requirements. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the self-assessed sleep need of elite athletes with an objective measure of their habitual sleep duration. Methods: Participants were 175 elite...

This study aimed to describe habitual sleep and nocturnal cardiac autonomic activity (CAA), and their relationship with training/match load in male youth soccer players during an international tournament. Eighteen elite male youth soccer players (aged 14.8 ± 0.3 years; mean ± SD) participated in the study. Sleep indices were measured using wrist ac...

Objectives: The aims of the present study were to (1) quantify sleep behaviours of soccer referees and (2) compare sleep behaviours between nights before training, before matches, and after matches. Methods: Fourteen professional soccer referees from the A-League (mean±SD; age 34 ± 4 years; sex: 11 males, 3 females) participated in this observation...

Esports is becoming increasingly professionalized, yet research on performance management is remarkably lacking. The present study aimed to investigate the sleep and mood of professional esports athletes. Participants were 17 professional esports athletes from South Korea (N = 8), Australia (N = 4), and the United States (N = 5) who played first pe...

Objectives: To investigate the effect of evening whey protein supplementation, rich in tryptophan, on sleep in elite male Australian Rules Football players. Design: Double-blinded, counterbalanced, randomized, cross-over study. Methods: Sleep was assessed using wrist activity monitors and sleep diaries in 15 elite male Australian Football Leag...

COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, can cause shortness of breath, lung damage, and impaired respiratory function. Containing the virus has proven difficult, in large part due to its high transmissibility during the pre-symptomatic incubation. The study’s aim was to determine if changes in respiratory rate could serve as a leading...

Objectives Quantify the on-field movements, heart rate and perceived exertion (RPE) of lead referees during Rugby World Cup matches. Design Descriptive, observational. Methods On-field movements (distance, average speed, high-speed running [>5 m s⁻¹]), heart rate and RPE of 11 lead referees were assessed during 29 Rugby World Cup (Knockout and Po...

ABSTRACT Elite athletes are particularly susceptible to sleep inadequacies, characterised by habitual short sleep (<7 hours/night) and poor sleep quality (eg, sleep fragmentation). Athletic performance is reduced by a night or more without sleep, but the influence on performance of partial sleep restriction over 1–3 nights, a more real-world scenar...

This study employed a qualitative in-match recording technique to understand how A-grade amateur golfers (n = 8) experience psycho-behavioral momentum during competitive matchplay. The aims were to capture, in real-time, thoughts and emotions associated with perceived changes to psycho-behavioral momentum, to understand what high-standard golfers p...

Although sports officials are essential in the adjudication of rules during competitions, research into officiating populations is preliminary. This review explores existing research on the effects of sleep loss on decision-making in athlete populations, to gain relevant insight into sports officials and the growing decision-making demands of their...

The aim of the study was to compare the WHOOP strap – a wearable device that estimates sleep based on measures of movement and heart rate derived from actigraphy and photoplethysmography, respectively. Twelve healthy adults (6 females, 6 males, aged 22.9 ± 3.4 years) participated in a 10-day, laboratory-based protocol. A total of 86 sleeps were ind...

Introduction Prolonged sitting and inadequate sleep are a growing concern in society and are associated with impairments to cardiometabolic health and cognitive performance. However, the combined effect of prolonged sitting and inadequate sleep on measures of health and cognitive performance are unknown. In addition, the circadian disruption caused...

COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, can cause shortness of breath, lung damage, and impaired respiratory function. Containing the virus has proven difficult, in large part due to its high transmissibility during the pre-symptomatic incubation. The study's aim was to determine if changes in respiratory rate could serve as a leading...

Objectives To investigate the relationship between dietary intake, meal timing and sleep in elite male Australian Football players. Design Prospective Cohort Study. Methods Sleep and dietary intake were assessed in 36 elite male Australian Football League (AFL) players for 10 consecutive days in pre-season. Sleep was examined using wrist activity...

Objectives: Despite the increasing popularity of beach soccer, few studies have examined goal scoring strategies during match-play. The aims of this study were to examine the different types of goals scored during an international tournament and determine what type of goals were associated with team performance. Methods: Twelve national teams were...

Objectives We investigated the management of travel fatigue and jet lag in athlete populations by evaluating studies that have applied non-pharmacological interventions (exercise, sleep, light and nutrition), and pharmacological interventions (melatonin, sedatives, stimulants, melatonin analogues, glucocorticoids and antihistamines) following long-...

This study examined sleep research in athletes published between 1966 and 2019, through a bibliometric analysis of research output in the Scopus database. Following a robust assessment of titles, the bibliometric indicators of productivity for studies included in the final analysis were: Distribution of publications and citations (excluding self-ci...

For many Australians, the beach is key to leisure and pleasure, an integral part of their culture, and a symbol of their national sporting identity. There is ample evidence across a history of iconic sporting competitions, including, for instance, the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Football, or soccer, is the world’s most popular game. It has a simplicity t...

Objectives: While sleep research in athletes is extensive, no research has investigated sleep in sports officials during a competitive season. This study explored the (a) self-reported quantity and quality of sleep obtained by sports officials according to the time of competition (day or evening) and (b) impact of reduced sleep on perceived decisio...

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact that portable electronic device use in bed after lights out has on sleep/wake behaviour within an adult population. Specifically, this study aimed to (1) identify patterns of use of electronic devices in bed; (2) examine the relationship between electronic device use in bed and sleep/wake behaviou...

Purpose: Australian football has elite men's (Australian Football League; AFL) and women's (Australian Football League Women's; AFLW) competitions. This study compared AFL and AFLW players' sleep and characterized players' sleep in the context of current sleep recommendations. Methods: A total of 70 players (36 AFL, 34 AFLW) had their sleep moni...

Objective: The magnitude of travel completed by professional Australian soccer teams during domestic competition is substantial. The inclusion of Australian soccer teams into the Asian Champions league has seen additional stress placed on soccer players' training and competition schedules. For management staff, the complexity of organizing training...

Purpose: To examine correlations between peak force and impulse measures attained during the isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) and basketball-specific sprint and jump tests. Methods: Male, adolescent basketball players (N = 24) completed a battery of basketball-specific performance tests. Testing consisted of the IMTP (absolute and normalized peak...

Sleep inertia is the transitional state marked by impaired cognitive performance and reduced vigilance upon waking. Exercising before bed may increase the amount of slow‐wave sleep within the sleep period, which has previously been associated with increased sleep inertia. Healthy males (n = 12) spent 3 nights in a sleep laboratory (1‐night washout...

Football, or soccer, is a simple game. It requires very little in the way of practical resources. Markers for a goal, a ball-shaped object. This simplicity enables the sport to be undertaken almost anywhere. Yet the beach is one place the game requires a substantial rethink in approach and participation. The best players do not necessarily make the...

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of personalized sleep hygiene education on sleep indices in elite athletes. Nine elite male cricket players performed 3 weeks of baseline sleep monitoring (PRE), followed by group and individualized sleep hygiene education and a further 3 weeks of sleep monitoring (POST). Subjective sleep ques...

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of single bouts of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and moderate-intensity resistance exercise performed in the evening on the sleep of healthy young males. The study employed a repeated-measures, counterbalanced, crossover design with three conditions (control, evening aerobic exercise, evening re...

Purpose: To 1) quantify and compare internal and external workloads in regular and overtime games, and 2) examine changes in relative workloads during overtime compared to other periods in overtime games in male basketball players. Methods: Starting players for a semi-professional, male basketball team were monitored during two overtime games and t...

Background The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of cold water immersion on the amount and quality of sleep obtained by elite cyclists during a simulated hill climbing tour. Methods Ten male professional cyclists (age 21.1 ± 1.7 years) from the Australian Institute of Sport were monitored for eight consecutive nights during a sim...

Objective: The main aim of this study was to explore the perceived relationship between sexual activities, sleep quality, and sleep latency in the general adult population and identify whether any gender differences exist. Participants/methods: We used a cross-sectional survey to examine the perceived relationship between sexual activity and subseq...

Problem: Most pregnant women report using the internet to source health information during pregnancy. However, little is known about the information presented on the internet and whether it is consistent with current evidence-based guidelines. Background: Pregnancy is considered a risk period for women as it is associated with poorer health beha...

Purpose: To quantify the sleep/wake behaviors of adolescent, female basketball players and to examine the impact of daily training load on sleep/wake behaviors during a 14-day training camp. Methods: Elite, adolescent, female basketball players (N = 11) had their sleep/wake behaviors monitored using self-report sleep diaries and wrist-worn activ...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of 12-week balance and slackline training programs on physical performance and perceived enjoyment scale in young soccer players. Forty-one preadolescent soccer players were assigned to two experimental groups performing traditional balance (BLT) or slackline training (SLT), and a control group. Pre...