Avoid Sports Injury By Getting Enough Sleep

Sports InjuryThe negative effects of sleep deprivation are no secret — from increased risk of obesity to the early onset of memory loss to raising your risk of stroke four times more than those who regularly get enough sleep. In sports medicine research, lack of sleep has been linked to increased risk of injury among teens and poor performance in judo competitors due to diminished muscle strength.

Increased sports injury risk in adolescent athletes
study by researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and the Institute for Scholastic Sport Science and Medicine surveyed 112 teen athletes (54 male and 58 female athletes with a mean age of 15 years). The students’ injury records were correlated with the students’ survey responses concerning their sleeping habits. The researchers found that students who slept, on average, less than eight hours per night were 1.4 times more likely to have suffered injury than those who slept for eight hours or more.

Decreased muscle strength among Judo competitors
Another study on the effect of sleep deprivation among judo competitors revealed that not getting enough shuteye had the same effect on the body of the competitors as becoming physically drained after a performance.

Whether you’re an amateur or a professional athlete, being injury-free should be a priority. Get in touch with us at 212.876.5200 to schedule an appointment today!