Perceptual Health and Wellbeing, Self-Reported Sleep, and Hydration Status in Youth Soccer Players During Competition

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess match time courses on hydration, wellness, and sleep as well as the interrelationship between these variables in youth national soccer players. Materials and Methods: Under‐17 and under‐19 youth national soccer players (age range: 16.96 ± 1.17 years) completed a perceptual wellness questionnaire, self‐reported their sleep, and carried out hydration assessments each morning during a period of competitive match play. Results: Players reported having significantly more sleep leading into the day of a match (MD) compared to both the evening after a match (MD‐2; p < 0.001; CI = 7.972 and 8.212) and the evening before a match (MD‐1; p < 0.001; CI = 7.996 and 8.174). Furthermore, players reported better health and wellbeing scores on MD compared to both MD‐1 (p < 0.001; CI = 19.231 and 19.692) and MD‐2 (p < 0.001; CI = 18.911 and 19.489). When self‐reported sleep was correlated with the individual components of health and wellbeing, it was highlighted that there were significant effects for fatigue (r = 0.304, p < 0.001; CI = 0.250 and 0.383), mood (r = 0.170, p < 0.001; CI = 0.112 and 0.243), general muscle soreness (r = 0.225, p < 0.001; CI = 0.162 and 0.306), and stress (r = 0.203, p < 0.001; CI = 0.147 and 0.274). Conclusion: It is important to consider sleep strategies to mitigate the potential impact of lack of sleep following match play. Self‐reported sleep seems to be appropriate for estimating individual components of health and wellbeing, and therefore may be a suitable replacement for perceptual wellness questionnaires.