Melatonin Supplementation and Performance

Nocturnal Melatonin Ingestion Ameliorates Short Term Maximal Performances on the Following Day

The present study aimed to evaluate the possible effect of nocturnal melatonin ingestion upon short-term performances, on the following morning. Twelve soccer players from a Tunisian squad (22.9 ±1.3 years, 1.80±0.05 m, and 72.0±8.8 kg) were volunteered to perform three testing sessions, with one test session per day. During each session, MEL (5mg) , MEL (8mg) or placebo were ingested, in a randomized order, before nocturnal sleep. The next morning (08:00h), participants performed the following psycho-cognitive and physical tests: Hooper's index, reaction time, vigilance, handgrip strength , squat jump , modified agility test , Wingate anaerobic test (peak power , mean power and fatigue index ). Rating of perceived exertion was recorded immediately after the WanT, and blood lactate measures were taken after 3min of recovery. Blood glucose was measured before and 3 min after the Wingate test.

Inclusion Criteria:

The participants were recruited based on the following criteria: (i) paticipants must be trained at 4-6 days per week for an average of 2 h daily and (ii) they must have at least 8 years of training experience

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects were excluded from the study if they present one of the following criteria : heart failure, antioxidant supplementation within 3 months before the study, lower-limb injuries