Exercising More Than 150 min/wk After Concussion Is Associated With Sleep Quality Improvements.
David R Howell, Mathew J Wingerson, Katherine L Smulligan and 3 others
PMID 38032838WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescents who averaged more than 150 minutes/week of exercise after concussion reported greater sleep quality improvement over one month than those who did not.
This does not prove exercise caused the change.
Key findings
01Adolescents who averaged more than 150 minutes/week of exercise between visits had a significantly greater improvement in sleep quality than those who averaged 150 minutes/week or less.
02At follow-up, the higher exercise volume group reported better sleep quality than the lower volume group, while the groups did not differ significantly at the first visit.
03After adjusting for age and migraine history, each additional hour/week of exercise was associated with a 0.82-point improvement in sleep quality rating.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 36 adolescents were analysed, after 43 were initially assessed and 7 were not included. The study was observational, so it cannot show that exercise caused sleep improvement or that better sleep allowed more exercise. Participants were not assigned to exercise volumes, and people who exercised more may have differed in other health behaviours. Sleep quality was self-reported and not objectively measured. Some participants may not have worn the tracker consistently, so recorded exercise volume may not capture true activity. The groups differed slightly in age, female proportion, and migraine history. Time from concussion to symptom resolution did not differ between groups. Participants were mainly seen after sport-related concussion, so results may not apply to all concussion causes.
Declared interests
The supplied text says the disclosures are unrelated to this study. Dr. Howell lists research support from NIH institutes and other organizations.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that exercising more than 150 minutes per week causes sleep improvement after concussion. The study was observational, participants were not assigned to exercise volumes, and the direction of the association is unclear.