Sleep quality in Olympic and non-Olympic combat sports: associations with sex, rapid weight loss, and sport age (a PSQI-based analysis)
Frontiers in Psychology, cilt.17, ss.1-12, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 17
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1847782
- Dergi Adı: Frontiers in Psychology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Linguistic Bibliography, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals, MLA International Bibliography
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-12
- Anahtar Kelimeler: combat sports, rapid weight loss, sex differences, sleep disturbance, sleep quality
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background – Sleep quality is an important component of recovery and performance in athletes. Combat sport athletes may be at increased risk of sleep disturbances due to high training demands and weight-management practices. Methods – This cross-sectional study included 498 athletes competing in Olympic and non-Olympic combat sports (mean age ≈21 years). Poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5) was examined using multivariable logistic regression to assess associations with sex, sport type, rapid weight loss (>4%), and sport age. A secondary model was conducted in the Olympic subsample. Continuous sleep outcomes were analyzed using two-way ANOVA. Results – Poor sleep quality was common among athletes, with 65% of participants classified as poor sleepers (PSQI > 5). In the full sample, male sex (OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.20–2.30), Olympic sport participation (OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.25–2.45), and rapid weight loss >4% (OR = 2.70, 95% CI: 1.80–4.00) were associated with higher odds of poor sleep quality, and sport age was also positively associated (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01–1.05). Similar associations were observed in the Olympic subsample. In addition, athletes competing in Olympic combat sports showed higher scores across several PSQI components compared to those in non-Olympic disciplines. Conclusion – Poor sleep quality is common among combat sport athletes and is associated with sport type and weight-management practices. These findings suggest that sleep disturbances may be related to sport-specific demands. Further research using longitudinal designs and objective sleep measures is needed to clarify these associations.