Strategic Daytime Napping Enhances Agility and Lowers Perceived Exertion

NCT07264777 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: PNU-6
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 16
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study investigates how short daytime naps affect physical performance and perceived exertion in competitive male soccer players. Using a repeated-measures crossover design, sixteen athletes from the U17 and U19 teams of Yeni Malatyaspor completed three experimental sessions separated by 48 hours. Each session involved one of three conditions: no nap (N0), a 25-minute nap (N25), or a 45-minute nap (N45). Participants' agility, repeated-sprint ability, and exertion levels were tested after each condition. Objective sleep data were collected with Fitbit Charge 6 devices, and subjective measures included the Hooper Index, Profile of Mood States, and sleep quality scales. The study aimed to determine whether strategic napping could acutely improve agility and reduce fatigue during anaerobic performance tasks in soccer players. It was hypothesized that longer naps would enhance agility and lower perceived exertion but would not significantly affect repeated-sprint performance.

Conditions

Healthy Participants

Keywords

Daytime naps; Anaerobic performance; Fatigue; Exercise physiology; Youth athlete; Agility

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Agility Performance (Pro Agility Test Time)

  Agility performance will be measured using the Pro Agility Test (20-yard shuttle run). The time (in seconds) required to complete the test will be recorded using an electronic timing system (SmarTracks, Germany). Lower times indicate better agility performance.

  Measured 60 minutes after awakening in each nap condition (No Nap, 25-min Nap, 45-min Nap).

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Change in Repeated-Sprint Ability (RSA)

  Measured 60 minutes after awakening in each nap condition.

• Change in Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)

  Immediately after each nap condition (25-min and 45-min naps).

• Change in Fatigue, Stress, and Recovery (Hooper Index Scores)

  Immediately after completion of each experimental session.

Study Arms (3)

No Nap Condition (N0)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants remained awake during the designated nap period in a quiet, dimly lit environment. No sleep was permitted. Following a 60-minute rest period, agility, repeated-sprint ability, and perceived exertion tests were conducted.

Behavioral: No Nap Condition (N0)

25-Minute Nap Condition (N25)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants took a 25-minute daytime nap opportunity at 14:00 in a dark, quiet room (\~22°C). Sleep was verified using Fitbit actigraphy. Sixty minutes after awakening, participants completed agility and repeated-sprint tests with exertion and recovery assessments.

Behavioral: Strategic Napping Protocol

45-Minute Nap Condition (N45)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants took a 45-minute daytime nap opportunity at 14:00 in a dark, quiet room (\~22°C). Sleep was verified via Fitbit actigraphy. After a 60-minute post-nap recovery period, agility, repeated-sprint, and perceived exertion measures were collected.

Behavioral: Strategic Napping Protocol

Interventions

Strategic Napping Protocol BEHAVIORAL

This behavioral intervention examines the acute effects of short daytime naps on anaerobic performance and perceived exertion in competitive male soccer players. Each participant completed three nap conditions in a randomized crossover design: No Nap (N0): Participants remained awake in a quiet, dimly lit room during the nap opportunity. 25-Minute Nap (N25): Participants took a 25-minute nap opportunity at 14:00 in a dark, quiet, temperature-controlled room (\~22°C). 45-Minute Nap (N45): Participants took a 45-minute nap opportunity under the same environmental conditions. Sleep onset, duration, and wake time were objectively verified using Fitbit Charge 6 actigraphy. To minimize sleep inertia, all performance testing-including the Pro Agility Test, Repeated-Sprint Ability (RSA) Test, and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)-was conducted 60 minutes after awakening.

Also known as: Controlled Nap Duration Protocol

25-Minute Nap Condition (N25); 45-Minute Nap Condition (N45)

No Nap Condition (N0) BEHAVIORAL

Participants remained awake during the designated nap period in a quiet, dimly lit environment. No sleep was permitted. Following a 60-minute rest period, participants completed the Pro Agility Test and Repeated-Sprint Ability (RSA) Test. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were collected after each sprint to assess subjective effort.

No Nap Condition (N0)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years - 19 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Male soccer players aged 16-19 years.
• Active members of the Yeni Malatyaspor U17 or U19 competitive teams.
• In good general health, with no acute or chronic illness or injury.
• Regularly engaged in organized soccer training and competition.
• No habitual daytime napping routine.
• Able and willing to comply with all study procedures and testing sessions.
• Obtained informed consent (and parental consent for participants under 18 years).

You may not qualify if:

• Current or recent (within 3 months) illness, injury, or infection.
• Diagnosed sleep disorders or reported sleep problems on test days.
• Hyperactivity or other conditions that could interfere with sleep or performance testing.
• Use of medications, caffeine, or substances that could affect sleep or performance.
• Failure to comply with pre-test instructions (e.g., abstaining from strenuous training, alcohol, or caffeine).
• Inability to adhere to nap or testing protocols.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University: lead
• Inonu University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Inonu University

Malatya, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Fatigue

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Prof

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 23, 2025
• First Posted: December 4, 2025
• Study Start: January 25, 2025
• Primary Completion: August 25, 2025
• Study Completion: September 1, 2025
• Last Updated: December 4, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Locations

TU (1)