| dc.description.abstract | Previous studies suggest the consumption of specific foods can influence sleep quality through the disruption of the circadian rhythm. One key demographic this relationship might impact is student-athletes, who have been shown to have poor sleep such as collegiate cross-country and track and field (XC+T&F) athletes. However, to date, no investigations have described this relationship in this cohort. PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze the cross-sectional connection between sleep, nutrient intake, and dietary quality (DQ) in Division I XC+T&F athletes. METHODS: Twenty-five (male n=5, female n=20) XC+T&F athletes completed the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Automatic Self-Administered Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24) for nutrient intake and the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI) for DQ. All dietary measures were compared between those who had normal (<5) or poor (≥5) PSQI scores using an independent t-test framework, alpha was set at p=0.05. RESULTS: When considering total HEI scores, normal sleepers scored 68 out of 100, while poor sleepers scored 61 out of 100, which was not statistically different (p=0.263). However, when looking at specific macro- and micronutrients, normal sleepers reported a greater percentage of Dietary Reference Intakes achieved for vitamins A (p=0.041), K (p=0.036), and B1 (p=0.033) Additionally, those who reported normal sleep quality also consumed significantly more copper (p=0.032) and selenium (p=0.043). Lastly, statistical differences in folate (p=0.056), potassium (p=0.055), and total calories from protein (p=0.058) were trending toward potential statistical significance suggesting consumption of these nutrients may be greater in athletes with normal sleep scores compared to those who reported poorer sleep. CONCLUSION: This study supports previous findings in non-athlete cohorts that higher intakes of dietary vitamin A and vitamin K are associated with improved sleep quality. Athletes should be encouraged to regularly assess their diet to identify potential food groups and nutrients that may be lacking and potentially impacting their sleep quality. These data were collected in May 2022 with a relatively small sample size, but our team is currently analyzing additional data from August and November 2022 to further characterize if these conclusions are associated with sex, body mass, and event designation. | |
