Sleep, Caffeine, and Pre-workout: Sleep in College Athletes
Advisor(s)
Dr. Megan Clegg-Kraynok
Confirmation
1
Document Type
Poster
Location
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Start Date
24-4-2026 12:00 PM
End Date
24-4-2026 12:50 PM
Abstract
College students need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night for optimal academic, physical, and mental performance, though it is common to fall short of that goal. Insufficient sleep has been linked to poorer grades, worse memory, more health problems, and more unintentional injuries. Caffeine is one of the most widely used wake-aids, used to counteract poor sleep and enhance cognitive function. College students often consume high levels of caffeine, intentionally or unknowingly, due to the presence of caffeine in seemingly innocuous products like pre-workout. The present correlational study evaluates sleep quality and duration using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), circadian preference using Horne and Oster’s Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), mental health and mood using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21), while caffeine and pre-workout consumption was measured by a short, novel survey. Participants include (n=127) undergraduate students enrolled at a small, rural, Midwestern university who participated via an online survey collection system. Data analysis is currently ongoing. We hypothesize that consuming high levels of caffeine will correlate with diminished sleep quality and reduced sleep duration. Furthermore, we believe this effect will be exacerbated among college athletes who consume large amounts of pre-workout, increasing their caffeine intake.
Recommended Citation
Welker, Troy R.; Klare, Megan; Beaty, Courtney J.; Lehman, Makenna L.; Paige, Natalie A.; Procter, Je'Leycia; Meyer, Rylee N.; and Clegg-Kraynok, Megan M., "Sleep, Caffeine, and Pre-workout: Sleep in College Athletes" (2026). ONU Student Research Colloquium. 73.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2026/Posters/73
Open Access
Available to all.
Sleep, Caffeine, and Pre-workout: Sleep in College Athletes
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
College students need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night for optimal academic, physical, and mental performance, though it is common to fall short of that goal. Insufficient sleep has been linked to poorer grades, worse memory, more health problems, and more unintentional injuries. Caffeine is one of the most widely used wake-aids, used to counteract poor sleep and enhance cognitive function. College students often consume high levels of caffeine, intentionally or unknowingly, due to the presence of caffeine in seemingly innocuous products like pre-workout. The present correlational study evaluates sleep quality and duration using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), circadian preference using Horne and Oster’s Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), mental health and mood using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21), while caffeine and pre-workout consumption was measured by a short, novel survey. Participants include (n=127) undergraduate students enrolled at a small, rural, Midwestern university who participated via an online survey collection system. Data analysis is currently ongoing. We hypothesize that consuming high levels of caffeine will correlate with diminished sleep quality and reduced sleep duration. Furthermore, we believe this effect will be exacerbated among college athletes who consume large amounts of pre-workout, increasing their caffeine intake.