Hey there, and welcome to my weekly summary of the latest research from the world of sports science.
This week’s studies cover the effects of creatine on sleep in female athletes, how caffeine impacts reaction time, and where the fastest Ironman race courses are located—read on!
Creatine Helps Female Athletes Sleep Longer
This study investigated the effects of creatine supplementation on sleep in naturally menstruating females. Over six weeks, 21 participants took either creatine or a placebo while doing resistance training twice a week. Researchers measured sleep using an ŌURA ring and assessed strength, body composition, and dietary intake. Results showed that women who took creatine experienced significantly longer sleep on training days compared to those on the placebo. However, there were no significant changes in overall sleep quality or strength differences between the groups. The findings suggest that creatine can help improve sleep duration following resistance training.
My thoughts: Yet another study focused specifically on training women. I'm enjoying the shift to more research on female athletes. Here, women who took creatine slept more after training, which could indicate that creatine helps improve both recovery and quality of sleep. I would love to see this study repeated looking at the amount of slow-wave sleep (deep sleep) these athletes experienced, which would tell more of the story.
Caffeine Improves Reaction Time (but Only When You Take a Lot)
This study examined how different doses of caffeine affect cognitive performance in healthy, physically active adults. Twenty-nine participants were tested after consuming either a placebo, 3 mg/kg, or 6 mg/kg of caffeine. The results showed that only the higher dose of 6 mg/kg significantly improved reaction time, but it did not impact other cognitive functions like anticipation, attention, or memory. However, this higher dose also led to side effects such as increased activeness and nervousness. Overall, while a high dose of caffeine can enhance reaction time, it may come with noticeable side effects.
My thoughts: 6mg/kg of body weight is a lot of caffeine to consume in one day. That’s about five cups of coffee for your usual 180lbs person, which is almost enough to fail a drug test. I suggest avoiding this strategy.
Europe Produces the Fastest Ironman Race Courses and Triathletes
This study analyzed data from over 677,000 Ironman age group triathletes between 2002 and 2022 to determine where the fastest Ironman race courses are located. Despite many competitors coming from the USA, UK and Canada, the fastest race times were achieved in European races like Ironman Copenhagen, Barcelona and Frankfurt. Triathletes from countries like Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland consistently posted the best times. Flat cycling and running courses were linked to faster results, and the athlete's country of origin was the strongest predictor of race time, while environmental factors like temperature had less impact. Overall, European races and athletes appear to dominate in speed.
My thoughts: I love these "I wonder" studies. I can imagine the idea for them coming from a beer-infused evening encounter between a bunch of top sports scientists. This one caught my eye because I know how willing most Ironman athletes are to travel, and the thought of making it that little bit easier and faster by selecting a faster course would get my attention.
That’s all for this week! If you learned something new and are curious to know more, head over to the Blonyx Blog or my growing list of weekly research summaries where I help you further improve your athletic performance by keeping you up to date on the latest findings from the world of sports science.
– Train hard!
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