Sleep, Recovery & Wearables: Evidence-Based Strategies with Prof. Shona Halson

Описание: In this episode, I speak with Professor Shona Halson - leading sleep and recovery scientist, former Head Recovery Physiologist at the Australian Institute of Sport, and advisor to three Olympic campaigns. With over 200 peer-reviewed papers, she is recognised internationally as one of the foremost authorities on sleep, fatigue, and performance.

We cover what actually improves sleep, what hinders it, how to use (and not misuse) wearables, and the practical recovery strategies that matter most for health, training, and longevity.

Episode Highlights:
00:00 – Welcome & guest introduction
03:00 – Defining sleep and sleep architecture
06:00 – How much sleep do we really need?
08:00 – Why consistency matters more than perfection
11:00 – Naps, non-sleep deep rest & timing effects
15:00 – Do athletes need more sleep than the average person?
17:00 – Wearables: what data to trust and what to ignore
22:00 – Menstrual cycle, hormones, and sleep quality
24:00 – Sleep disruption during perimenopause
26:00 – Behaviours that harm sleep vs. behaviours that help (we had some audio issues at this point -- Audio returns at 29mins)
30:00 – Evening exercise, late meals, and temperature regulation (audio returns here)
39:00 – Supplements, melatonin & nutrition for sleep
44:00 – Alcohol, caffeine, and common myths
50:00 – Low energy availability, stress & sleep disturbances
53:00 – Monitoring recovery: performance, subjective data & HRV
1:02:00 – Compression, ice baths & saunas - when to use them
1:09:00 – Protein timing, presleep nutrition, and recovery
1:14:00 – Sleep and glucose regulation
1:16:00 – Rapid-fire audience questions (we had some audio issues at this point in which I have re-recorded Prof. Halson's answers)
1:22:00 – Current projects and future research

Guest Bio:
Prof. Shona Halson is a professor at Australian Catholic University’s School of Behavioural and Health Sciences. She served as Head Recovery Physiologist at the AIS from 2002–2018 and has worked with the Australian Olympic Committee across three Olympic campaigns. Recognised as one of Exercise & Sports Science Australia’s female leaders in the field, her research spans sleep, recovery, fatigue, and practical interventions for athletes and active populations.

Resources & Links:
• Research profile: https://www.acu.edu.au/research-and-e...
• Recent publication: “Menstrual Cycle Phase and Sleep in Female Athletes” (2023) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39048...
• A Validation Study of a Commercial Wearable Device to Automatically Detect and Estimate Sleep (DOI:10.3390/bios11060185)

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Due to the technical difficulties at th end of this podcast Prof Halson & I will do an Instagram LIVE on my instagram in the next few weeks.