Sports & Exercise Research Volume 25 Number 3
Author：Yu-Jen Kao; Po-Wei Chang; Chih-Hui Chang
Period/Date/Page：Vol. 25 No. 3 (2023 / 09 / 30) ， P296 - 312
DOI：10.5297/ser.202309_25(3).0004
Association of Partial Sleep Deprivation With Reaction Time, Postural Control and Basic Physical Fitness in Marines
Abstract：The National Armed Forces bear the responsibility of protecting their country's citizens and homes, so it is important to use scientific methods when investigating their ability to maintain physical and mental fitness. This study examined the relationship between partial sleep deprivation caused by night guard duty and subjects' reaction time and posture control, as well as execution of three basic physical fitness tasks conforming to standards of the Armed Forces. The tasks were: two minutes of sit-ups, two minutes of push-ups, and a 3,000-meter run (unencumbered). Sixteen male Marines were recruited as participants, and received normal sleep, 00:00-02:00 o'clock, and 02:00-04:00 o'clock sleep deprivation using within-subject design in counterbalanced order. After intervention, participants' reaction times and postural control were evaluated at 8:00 a.m., whereas the three physical tasks were performed in the afternoon. The Human Benchmark reaction time test was used to measure reaction time and a force plate was used to measure posture control. Results revealed no significant difference in reaction times among the three sleep situations. In postural control, individuals with eyes closed showed larger body sway variability while performing search or inspection tasks. Individuals also showed larger body sway variability under conditions of partial sleep deprivation compared to normal sleep. Subjects performed worse on the two-minute sit-ups and push-ups when sleep-deprived than under normal sleep. Sleep deprivation caused no significant difference in 3000-meter run. In conclusion, partial sleep deprivation affects Marines' postural control and muscular endurance, but does not affect simple reaction time or cardiorespiratory endurance. Whether partial sleep deprivation reduces the physical fitness of Marines still needs to be further confirmed by a randomized, counter-balanced, crossover trial to confirm the causality. (Full text)
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