Effects of Bed Rest on Physical Performance in Athletes: A Systematic and Narrative Review

ConclusionsBased on the limited evidence from studies involving non-athletes who were otherwise healthy prior to bed rest, we generally conclude that (1) bed rest rapidly (within 3  days) decreases upright endurance exercise performance, likely due to a rapid loss in plasma volume; whereas strength is reduced within 5 days, likely due to neural factors as well as muscle atrophy; (2) fluid/salt supplementation may be an effective countermeasure to protect against decrements i n endurance performance during bed rest; while a broader array of potentially effective countermeasures exists, the efficacy of these countermeasures for previously exercise-trained individuals requires further study; and (3) athletes likely require at least 2–4 weeks of progressive rehabilitatio n following bed rest of ≤ 28 days, although the timeline of recovery might need to be extended depending on the underlying reason for bed rest (e.g., injury or illness). Despite these general conclusions from studies involving non-athletes, our primary conclusion is that substantial effort an d research is still required to quantify the effects of bed rest on physical performance, identify effective countermeasures, and provide return-to-sport timelines in bona fide athletes.Trial Registration Number and Date of RegistrationRegistration ID: osf.io/d3aew; Date: October 24, 2022.
Source: Sports Medicine - Category: Sports Medicine Source Type: research