First of its kind project to investigate the impact of sleep on peak performance in female athletes
Monash University
A first of its kind project led by Monash University is investigating the impact of sleep and circadian disruption on peak performance and recovery in elite female athletes to develop a sleep optimisation program to assist in improving mental and physical health.
Project FASTT (Female Athlete Sleep, Travel and Technology), is led by Dr Elise Facer-Childs and her team from Monash University’s School of Psychological Sciences and funded by the Australian Research Council and the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance.
The project aims to generate new knowledge about the physiological changes associated with sleep, circadian disruption and the impact of the menstrual cycle in female athletes.
“The project seeks to increase our understanding of how these factors impact athletes and develop an effective, individualised optimisation program to enhance performance, recovery, and mental wellbeing. The findings of our project will benefit elite sports organisations and have the potential to be applied in other high-performance settings,” Dr Facer-Childs said.
“Historically, sports science research has predominantly focused on male athletes, leading to a huge gap in understanding the specific needs of female athletes. Whilst this project is developing sleep programs that could be used by anyone looking for improvements in physical and mental health, we are initially focusing on female athletes.”
“To investigate the impact of sleep and circadian disruption on peak performance and recovery, we have developed a collaboration with WHOOP so we can easily track sleep and physiology in our athletes using their wearable devices.
“We have physiological data (heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate etc), as well as sleep stages and recovery information from the WHOOP devices. We are also doing detailed melatonin assessments with all our athletes to assess individual markers of body clocks, and collect data on menstrual cycles, mental health, performance and nutrition.
“An important part of conducting this research is developing close relationships with our partners. This allows us to co-design the research with industry experts, get input from athletes with lived experience, and explore ways to translate the outcomes through new technology,” Dr Facer-Childs said.
Project FASTT involves a global team of researchers and experts in sleep science, sports medicine, and performance optimisation, including key industry partner; Readiness, who are technology innovators in workplace wellbeing and hazard risk management, wearable tech company WHOOP, academic collaborators; Kathryn Ackerman, from Harvard University, Shona Halson, from the Australian Catholic University, and Satchin Panda, from the Salk Institute. The project also involves elite sports partners; the Southside Flyers from the Women’s National Basketball Association, GreenEDGE Cycling, a UCI World Tour Cycling Team and North Melbourne Football Club.
Case Study - Tricia Cowan, North Melbourne (VFLW)
Tricia Cowan, plays Australian Football and is a part of Project FASTT with the North Melbourne VFLW program.
Tricia said a study like this means there is more information on how to improve the performance of female athletes.
“As athletes, we want to improve in any means necessary and the way that happens is through research and seeing what works and doesn’t,” Tricia said.
“To have more research done on female athletes, it won’t only help our performance but help bring awareness to the importance of being represented in research to understand the differences between athletes and ensure we can have access to the best practices for success.
“I hope this study helps to open research to further investigate how female athletes differ and can improve performance. We understand that sleep and recovery ensures all athletes perform better but what are other aspects of female athletes that would differ from what we already know about male athletes and performance?
“It would be great to have answers for younger female athletes in the future to ensure they can be best set up for success in whichever sport they desire.”
Case Study - Maddison Rocci, Southside Flyers (WNBL)
Maddison Rocci is an Australian professional basketball player for the Southside Flyers of the Women's National Basketball League. Maddison has represented Australia in the Opals team and is a part of Project FASTT.
Maddison said a project like this is incredibly important for several reasons.
“Female athletes have unique physiological, hormonal, and psychological considerations that may influence their sleep patterns and how these affect their performance. By understanding how sleep impacts female athletes, I believe researchers can develop targeted strategies to optimise recovery, prevent injury, and enhance overall performance,” Maddison said.
“Sleep is a crucial factor in recovery and cognitive function, and this study can provide the evidence needed to adjust training regimens, improve health guidelines, and promote long term success for female athletes.
“From this study, I hope to see some key changes in the field of sports science and athletics. First, there could be a greater recognition of the importance of sleep in enhancing athletic performance, especially for female athletes, leading to more evidence based recommendations and interventions. For example, incorporating sleep education into training programs, improving sleep hygiene practices, and making sleep a priority in recovery protocols.
“The findings could help shift the way coaches, sports organisations, and athletes themselves approach recovery. By recognising sleep as a critical component of performance, sleep could become integrated into training cycles, with athletes receiving the guidance and support they need to ensure adequate rest. The hope is that such studies will ultimately lead to better health outcomes, improved performance and greater opportunities for female athletes in all sports.”
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