The Impact of Kiwifruit Consumption on the Sleep and Recovery of Elite Athletes.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Uncontrolled single-arm pre-post intervention study without a comparator group
PubMed 37242157 · doi:10.3390/nu15102274
What was done
Following a 1-week baseline assessment, elite athletes consumed two medium-sized green kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) one hour before bedtime nightly for 4 weeks. Sleep parameters and recovery-stress balance were evaluated using a questionnaire battery completed at baseline and post-intervention, along with daily sleep diaries maintained throughout the study period.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values, effect sizes, or exact p-values. It reports statistically and clinically significant improvements from baseline to post-intervention in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) global and component scores, reductions in general and sport-specific stress scales, increases in total sleep time and sleep efficiency percentage, and reductions in the number of awakenings and wake time after sleep onset.
Why it matters
This study explores whole-food nutritional strategies to support sleep hygiene and recovery in elite athletes without pharmacological sleep aids.
Limits
The lack of a control or placebo group means observed improvements cannot be separated from placebo effects, seasonal variation, or training cycle fluctuations. The abstract omits sample size, participant demographics, and numerical data. Sleep and recovery metrics were purely subjective, without objective validation from actigraphy or polysomnography.