Bennett, SJ, Tiollier, E, Brocherie, F, Owens, DJ, Morton, JP and Louis, J (2021) Three weeks of a home-based "sleep low-train low" intervention improves functional threshold power in trained cyclists: A feasibility study. PLoS One, 16 (12). ISSN 1932-6203

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: "Sleep Low-Train Low" is a training-nutrition strategy intended to purposefully reduce muscle glycogen availability around specific exercise sessions, potentially amplifying the training stimulus via augmented cell signalling. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a 3-week home-based "sleep low-train low" programme and its effects on cycling performance in trained athletes. METHODS: Fifty-five trained athletes (Functional Threshold Power [FTP]: 258 ± 52W) completed a home-based cycling training program consisting of evening high-intensity training (6 × 5 min at 105% FTP), followed by low-intensity training (1 hr at 75% FTP) the next morning, three times weekly for three consecutive weeks. Participant's daily carbohydrate (CHO) intake (6 g·kg-1·d-1) was matched but timed differently to manipulate CHO availability around exercise: no CHO consumption post- HIT until post-LIT sessions [Sleep Low (SL), n = 28] or CHO consumption evenly distributed throughout the day [Control (CON), n = 27]. Sessions were monitored remotely via power data uploaded to an online training platform, with performance tests conducted pre-, post-intervention. RESULTS: LIT exercise intensity reduced by 3% across week 1, 3 and 2% in week 2 (P < 0.01) with elevated RPE in SL vs. CON (P < 0.01). SL enhanced FTP by +5.5% vs. +1.2% in CON (P < 0.01). Comparable increases in 5-min peak power output (PPO) were observed between groups (P < 0.01) with +2.3% and +2.7% in SL and CON, respectively (P = 0.77). SL 1-min PPO was unchanged (+0.8%) whilst CON improved by +3.9% (P = 0.0144). CONCLUSION: Despite reduced relative training intensity, our data demonstrate short-term "sleep low-train low" intervention improves FTP compared with typically "normal" CHO availability during exercise. Importantly, training was completed unsupervised at home (during the COVID-19 pandemic), thus demonstrating the feasibility of completing a "sleep low-train low" protocol under non-laboratory conditions.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1200 Sports Medicine
Divisions:	Sport & Exercise Sciences
Publisher:	Public Library of Science
Related URLs:	Author
Date Deposited:	06 Dec 2021 09:26
Last Modified:	06 Dec 2021 09:30
DOI or ID number:	10.1371/journal.pone.0260959
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/15870

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