Sleep Deprivation for Heart Function During Exercise

Overseen By Julian Bommarito, MSc

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Guelph

Must be taking: Oral contraceptives

Must not be taking: Chronic medications

Disqualifiers: Cardiovascular, Metabolic, Sleep disorders, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

30 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications, but it does exclude people who are on chronic medications other than oral contraceptives. This suggests that you might need to stop other chronic medications to participate.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Partial Sleep Deprivation for heart function during exercise?

Research shows that partial sleep deprivation can lead to increased heart rate and ventilation during exercise, which may affect heart function. However, it also suggests that sleep deprivation primarily alters psychological responses to exercise rather than physiological ones. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is sleep deprivation generally safe for humans during exercise?

Sleep deprivation can increase heart rate and breathing during exercise and may lead to muscle and heart strain. It can also reduce the body's ability to use energy effectively, making exercise feel harder. However, it does not seem to affect overall heart and lung function during exercise. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

How does the treatment of partial sleep deprivation differ from other treatments for heart function during exercise?

Partial sleep deprivation is unique because it involves intentionally reducing sleep to study its effects on heart function during exercise, unlike other treatments that might focus on medication or lifestyle changes. This approach examines how lack of sleep affects the body's autonomic (automatic body functions) and endocrine (hormone-related) systems, which can influence heart rate and exercise performance. ^{2 6 8 9 10}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if attenuations in cardiac output drive the blunted blood pressure response during cycling exercise following a night of partial sleep deprivation in young healthy adults (%50 females). The secondary outcome is to assess sex differences. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Do reductions in plasma volume drive reductions in cardiac output and therefore blood pressure during exercise following a night of partial sleep deprivation? * Do sex differences exist? Participants will: * Visit the lab after a night of normal sleep and a night of partial sleep deprivation. * Keep a daily diary of their sleep and food/beverage intake. * Perform maximal and submaximal exercise on a cycle ergometer.

Research Team

Julian Bommarito, MSc

Principal Investigator

University of Guelph

Philip Millar, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Guelph

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for young, healthy adults interested in how lack of sleep affects heart function during exercise. Participants will need to visit the lab after both a normal night's sleep and a night with less sleep, keep track of their sleep and eating habits, and do cycling exercises.

Inclusion Criteria

Able to abide by sleep protocols for all visits

No history of smoking (within the past 3 months)

Able to engage in physical activity assessed through the physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q+)

Exclusion Criteria

Has a history of smoking (within the past 3 months)

I am on long-term medication other than birth control pills.

Unable to abide by sleep protocols for any testing visit

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Participants undergo assessment of maximal oxygen uptake to determine aerobic fitness and metabolic exercise intensity zones

1 visit

1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Participants visit the lab after a night of normal sleep and a night of partial sleep deprivation to perform cycling exercise and have hemodynamics and plasma volume measured

2 visits

2 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the intervention

1-2 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Partial Sleep Deprivation

Trial Overview The study aims to see if not getting enough sleep leads to lower blood pressure because of reduced heart output when exercising. It also looks at whether men and women react differently to this kind of stress.

Participant Groups

Group I: Partial sleep deprivation Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

During this arm, participants will be asked to come to the lab for testing after a night of partial sleep deprivation. Participants will be asked to fall asleep at their habitual bedtime but wake up early (\~40% of normal sleep duration).

Group II: Normal sleep Active Control 1 Intervention

During this arm, participants will be asked to come to the lab for testing after a night of normal sleep. Normal sleep will be defined as participants habitual sleep-wake timing.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Guelph

Lead Sponsor

Trials

87

Recruited

15,100+

Findings from Research

High-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) can improve cardiovascular function, as measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD), even after acute-partial sleep deprivation in healthy males, suggesting a protective effect against cardiovascular disease.

In a study with 15 participants, both HIIE after a good night's sleep and after sleep deprivation resulted in similar improvements in FMD, indicating that engaging in HIIE may help mitigate some negative cardiovascular effects of sleep loss.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acute partial sleep deprivation and high-intensity interval exercise effects on postprandial endothelial function. Papadakis, Z., Forsse, JS., Peterson, MN.[2021]

After a night of partial sleep deprivation, highly trained endurance athletes experienced increased heart rate and ventilation during exercise, indicating a negative impact on cardiovascular and respiratory responses.

Triazolam-induced sleep improved sleep quality by increasing stage 2 sleep and reducing wakefulness, but did not fully restore performance levels compared to baseline sleep, suggesting that sleep quality is crucial for optimal exercise performance.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of sleep disturbances on subsequent physical performance. Mougin, F., Simon-Rigaud, ML., Davenne, D., et al.[2019]

Acute sleep loss does not significantly affect physiological measures like oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide production, or heart rate during exercise, indicating that the body's physical performance remains stable despite lack of sleep.

However, sleep deprivation increases perceived exertion during moderate and heavy exercise, suggesting that while physical capabilities may not change, the psychological experience of effort does, which could impact exercise performance.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Exercise after sleep deprivation. Martin, BJ., Gaddis, GM.[2019]

In a study involving 7 endurance athletes, partial sleep deprivation led to increased heart rate and ventilation during exercise, indicating a higher cardiovascular strain at both submaximal and maximal workloads.

The athletes experienced decreased oxygen consumption at maximal effort after a night of sleep deprivation, suggesting that lack of sleep can impair aerobic performance and endurance.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Disturbance of sports performance after partial sleep deprivation]. Mougin, F., Davenne, D., Simon-Rigaud, ML., et al.[2006]

Partial sleep deprivation, whether from delayed bedtime or early awakening, led to minor hormonal changes during exercise, such as increased plasma prolactin and higher blood lactate levels during submaximal exercise.

Interestingly, the use of the hypnotic drug zolpidem did not significantly impact sleep stages or the hormonal and metabolic responses to exercise, suggesting that sleep quality may not be as critical for hormonal responses as previously thought.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Hormonal responses to exercise after partial sleep deprivation and after a hypnotic drug-induced sleep. Mougin, F., Bourdin, H., Simon-Rigaud, ML., et al.[2018]

Partial sleep deprivation at the end of the night (PSDEN) significantly increased levels of ultra-sensitive C-reactive protein (us-CRP) and myoglobin (MYO) in professional Taekwondo athletes, indicating potential muscle and cardiac stress.

Both types of partial sleep deprivation (beginning and end of the night) led to elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and MYO levels in response to exercise, but did not affect heart rate or oxygen saturation during the exercise, suggesting that while sleep deprivation impacts certain biomarkers, it does not alter immediate physiological responses.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

One night of partial sleep deprivation increased biomarkers of muscle and cardiac injuries during acute intermittent exercise. Mejri, MA., Yousfi, N., Hammouda, O., et al.[2022]

A study involving 11 young men showed that 64 hours of sleep deprivation led to a small but significant decrease in VO2max (a measure of aerobic power) by 3.8 ml min-1 kg-1, indicating that sleep loss can negatively impact cardiorespiratory function.

Despite the decrease in VO2max, physiological responses during sub-maximal exercise remained stable, suggesting that the effects of sleep deprivation do not significantly alter heart rate or oxygen consumption during moderate activity, although perceived exertion increased significantly.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sleep deprivation and cardiorespiratory function. Influence of intermittent submaximal exercise. Plyley, MJ., Shephard, RJ., Davis, GM., et al.[2019]

Sleep deprivation of 30 to 72 hours does not significantly impact cardiovascular, respiratory, or muscle performance during exercise, but it does reduce the time to exhaustion, indicating that while physical capabilities remain intact, endurance may suffer.

In sleep-deprived individuals, increased insulin resistance and decreased glucose tolerance may contribute to reduced endurance, suggesting that hormonal and metabolic changes play a crucial role in how sleep loss affects physical performance.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sleep deprivation and the effect on exercise performance. VanHelder, T., Radomski, MW.[2018]

Sleep deprivation for 34 hours significantly increased parasympathetic regulation of the autonomic nervous system, as indicated by heart rate variability, particularly in the morning and afternoon following the deprivation.

Participants exhibited higher levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone and lower heart rates during exercise after sleep deprivation, suggesting that sleep loss affects both hormonal responses and exercise tolerance throughout the day.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of sleep deprivation on autonomic and endocrine functions throughout the day and on exercise tolerance in the evening. Konishi, M., Takahashi, M., Endo, N., et al.[2013]

In a study involving 15 healthy males, high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) led to a significant decrease in heart rate variability (HRV) one hour post-exercise, with recovery to baseline levels taking up to four hours.

Acute partial sleep deprivation did not alter the HRV responses typically seen after HIIE, suggesting that the effects of HIIE on autonomic regulation are consistent regardless of sleep deprivation status.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of High-Intensity Interval Exercise and Acute Partial Sleep Deprivation on Cardiac Autonomic Modulation. Papadakis, Z., Forsse, JS., Peterson, MN.[2021]

References

1. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acute partial sleep deprivation and high-intensity interval exercise effects on postprandial endothelial function. [2021]

2. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of sleep disturbances on subsequent physical performance. [2019]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Exercise after sleep deprivation. [2019]

4. France pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Disturbance of sports performance after partial sleep deprivation]. [2006]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Hormonal responses to exercise after partial sleep deprivation and after a hypnotic drug-induced sleep. [2018]

6. Italy pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

One night of partial sleep deprivation increased biomarkers of muscle and cardiac injuries during acute intermittent exercise. [2022]

7. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sleep deprivation and cardiorespiratory function. Influence of intermittent submaximal exercise. [2019]

8. New Zealand pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sleep deprivation and the effect on exercise performance. [2018]

9. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of sleep deprivation on autonomic and endocrine functions throughout the day and on exercise tolerance in the evening. [2013]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of High-Intensity Interval Exercise and Acute Partial Sleep Deprivation on Cardiac Autonomic Modulation. [2021]