Strategic daytime napping enhances agility and lowers perceived exertion but does not improve fatigue resistance in adolescent soccer players

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dc.contributor.authorOncu, Mertkan
dc.contributor.authorEken, Ozgur
dc.contributor.authorAldhahi, Monira I.
dc.date.accessioned2026-04-04T13:34:40Z
dc.date.available2026-04-04T13:34:40Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.departmentİnönü Üniversitesi
dc.description.abstractDaytime naps are increasingly adopted by athletes to alleviate subjective fatigue and restore alertness, yet their impact on high-intensity anaerobic tasks remains unclear. Both nap duration and circadian timing may modulate psychomotor readiness, perceived exertion, and fatigue resistance, but evidence from team-sport settings is limited. This study aimed to determine how different daytime nap durations (25 vs. 45 min) influence agility, repeated-sprint performance, and psychophysiological responses-including perceived exertion and mood-in adolescent soccer players. Sixteen competitive male adolescent soccer players (all intermediate chronotypes) completed three randomized, crossover sessions: no nap (N0), 25-min nap (N25), and 45-min nap (N45). Nap compliance was objectively verified by actigraphy. After a 60-min post-nap wake-up period, participants performed the Pro Agility Test and a repeated-sprint ability (RSA) protocol. Psychophysiological outcomes included ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), Hooper Index, visual analogue scales (VAS) for alertness, and Profile of Mood States (POMS). Agility improved in a clear dose-response pattern (N0 = 5.40 +/- 0.34 s; N25 = 5.18 +/- 0.23 s; N45 = 4.98 +/- 0.29 s; p < 0.001, eta p2 = 0.57). RPE was significantly lower after N45 versus N0 (Delta = -1.4; p < 0.01, eta p2 = 0.45). RSA indices showed no overall condition effect, although best sprint time improved after N45 versus N25 (p < 0.01) with greater fatigue accumulation across repeated sprints (p < 0.05). Mood analysis revealed positive associations between fatigue and RPE and negative associations between vigor and RPE, indicating that mood states are associated with perceived exertion. A 45-min early-afternoon nap meaningfully enhanced agility and reduced perceived exertion but did not improve fatigue resistance during repeated sprints. Coaches should weigh the neuromuscular and perceptual benefits of longer naps against potential fatigue trade-offs when designing pre-competition recovery strategies.
dc.description.sponsorshipPrincess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University [PNURSP2026R286]
dc.description.sponsorshipThis project is funded by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project number (PNURSP2026R286), Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study sponsor had no role in the data analysis or collection, writing of the report, or decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
dc.identifier.doi10.1038/s41598-026-39637-7
dc.identifier.issn2045-2322
dc.identifier.issue1
dc.identifier.orcid0000-0002-5488-3158
dc.identifier.pmid41680430
dc.identifier.scopus2-s2.0-105031564828
dc.identifier.scopusqualityN/A
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-39637-7
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11616/109315
dc.identifier.volume16
dc.identifier.wosWOS:001705260100001
dc.identifier.wosqualityQ1
dc.indekslendigikaynakWeb of Science
dc.indekslendigikaynakScopus
dc.indekslendigikaynakPubMed
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherNature Portfolio
dc.relation.ispartofScientific Reports
dc.relation.publicationcategoryMakale - Uluslararası Hakemli Dergi - Kurum Öğretim Elemanı
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.snmzKA_WOS_20250329
dc.subjectDaytime nap
dc.subjectSleep inertia
dc.subjectPerceived exertion
dc.subjectMood
dc.subjectPsychophysiology
dc.subjectAgility
dc.subjectRepeated-sprint ability
dc.subjectChronotype
dc.titleStrategic daytime napping enhances agility and lowers perceived exertion but does not improve fatigue resistance in adolescent soccer players
dc.typeArticle

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