Sports
Trail Running and Science: How Sleep Impacts Performance
Dr. Helton de Sá explains how research at La Misión Brasil uncovers the link between sleep deprivation and decision-making.
In a conversation on Stemma Na Trilha, professor Helton de Sá details pioneering UFV studies in mountain races. Learn how sleep impacts muscle recovery and cognitive performance for athletes tackling the country's toughest trails.
Trail and mountain running is often associated with raw grit, endurance, and a deep connection with nature. Behind every steep climb and technical descent, however, lies a vast field of scientific inquiry. In an episode recorded directly in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Sidney Togumi hosted professor and researcher Dr. Helton de Sá from the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) to discuss how Brazilian science is investigating physiology, muscle recovery, and decision-making in endurance athletes.
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From the Lab to the Trails of La Misión Brasil
Helton de Sá's journey into sleep research began during his graduate studies at Unifesp, where he investigated the impact of sleep deprivation on muscle metabolism. Initially conducted using animal models and later in humans under strictly controlled conditions, the experiments revealed that lack of sleep induces muscle atrophy, impairs the rate of force development, and disproportionately affects fast-twitch muscle fibers—a pattern similar to that observed in age-related sarcopenia.
To bridge laboratory findings and real-world conditions, the research team found that trail running offered an ideal setting of prolonged physical stress and sleep deprivation. A partnership with the organizers of La Misión Brasil, facilitated by Paulo Lami in Passa Quatro, transformed the race into an open-air laboratory starting in 2023. Armed with questionnaires and actigraphs—wearable devices that monitor sleep-wake patterns over weeks—researchers began mapping runners' physiological and behavioral responses before, during, and after the race.
Polyphasic Sleep and Strategies for Extreme Races
A core focus of the discussion centers on sleep management during ultramarathons and non-stop endurance events, such as the Tor des Géants. Helton explains that a complete sleep cycle lasts roughly 90 minutes, alternating between non-REM stages (N1, N2, and deep slow-wave sleep N3) and REM sleep. In multi-day non-stop races, adopting polyphasic sleep—a strategy based on short naps ranging from 10 to 90 minutes—is the most common method to preserve alertness without triggering severe sleep inertia.
Beyond total sleep time, circadian alignment with sunlight and pre-race anxiety management play critical roles in muscle preservation and inflammatory homeostasis. For runners balancing demanding urban routines with chronic sleep deficits, regular power naps serve as a vital tool to mitigate muscle catabolism.
Cognition and Decision-Making: The Next Frontier
After years of observational field data collection, the UFV team expanded its scope toward neuroscience and decision-making. The doctoral project of Guilherme, a PhD student advised by Helton, employs eye-tracking sensors to analyze how athletes of varying skill levels read terrain irregularities and choose navigation lines during simulated trail conditions.
The core hypothesis suggests that elite runners maintain sharper cognitive clarity and more efficient gaze patterns even under severe fatigue. Moving forward, understanding these mechanisms could enable specific cognitive training protocols, helping trail runners improve their visual processing speed and downhill technical precision without relying solely on high mountain mileage.
Challenges in Sports Science Research in Brazil
Despite breakthroughs and academic publications from the group, elite sports research in Brazil faces chronic funding constraints. Helton notes that unlike Paralympic sports—which established Brazil as a global powerhouse through long-standing integration with federal universities—trail running is still seeking public grant channels and private sector partnerships to expand its research projects and data collection equipment.
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