As athletes from around the globe converge in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Canisius University Adjunct Professor Matthew Crawley is shedding light on an important yet often overlooked aspect of athletic performance: sleep.
“Sleep enhances cognitive performance – critical for decision-making, reaction time, concentration and focus,” says Crawley. “Physically, it influences power, speed, strength and endurance, which is crucial to create force quickly and sustain movements in competition.”
Crawley has spent the past 15 years in human performance and the last four years examining the realm of sleep science, using his role as a strength and conditioning coach for elite athletes in the XFL professional American football minor league, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and now the NHL’s Dallas Stars, to inform his research.
Crawley monitors the sleep patterns of elite athletes through the use of wearable technology, such as the Oura ring. In analyzing the data, he’s gained critical insights into sleep patterns as they relate to performance, which he has shared with the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
“For elite athletes, sleep isn’t just downtime, it’s a strategic asset,” he notes.
So much so that the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) recently reported “sleep is the number one concern among Olympic athletes.”
Matt Crawley is available to comment on:
1. Why sleep is a top concern among Olympic athletes
2. The impact of sleep on the performance of elite athletes
3. Best sleep hygiene practices to ensure peak performance
