The 2 Missing Puzzle Pieces for Improving Your Health

By Chow Chun Yu and Tan Meng Xiang, Danial

Sleep is essential for athletic performance; fueling muscle repair, focus, and endurance. Lack of it can disrupt metabolism, increase appetite, and hinder recovery. Combined with proper nutrition, quality sleep becomes even more powerful. This article explores how optimizing both sleep and nutrition can boost athletic health and performance.

Chrononutrition and Sleep

Chrononutrition refers to how to time your food intake according to your sleep wake cycle. The timing, composition and nutrition quality can significantly impact sleep quality and recovery.

Chrononutrition focuses on interventions that regulate our sleep patterns. Inadequate sleep and poor nutrition put the individual at risk of diminished recovery, heightened injury risks and even inflammation of the muscles. (Doherty et al., 2024)

What food should I look out for?

Understanding chrononutrition can help optimize nutrition timing to align with the body's biological clocks, enhancing recovery and performance. Various nutrients (e.g., glucose, amino acids, protein) and the timing of their consumption significantly impact our circadian rhythms and, consequently, sleep quality. Listed below are some key nutritional interventions that might help individuals with sleep quality, according to a study done by Doherty et al. in 2025.

Carbohydrates: High glycemic index carbohydrates before bed can enhance sleep latency and quality. Low carbohydrate intake is linked to insomnia symptoms (i.e. difficulty in maintaining sleep).

Kiwifruit: Contains serotonin and antioxidants. Consuming kiwifruit an hour before bed may improve sleep duration, quality, and recovery.

Creatine and Magnesium: Helps mitigate the negative effects of sleep loss on cognitive function and improve sleep quality. Particularly beneficial for those who are sleep deficient.

Protein Sources: Tryptophan-rich proteins and certain protein supplements can support better sleep outcomes (E.g. chicken breast, salmon, soybeans, cheese, etc.). It can also improve recovery and immune functions

Tart Cherry Juice: Melatonin in tart cherry juice increases total sleep time, sleep efficiency and reduces daytime napping. It is a supplementation that may increase sleep duration and better sleep quality.

Action Plan

After understanding these nutritional interventions, here are some steps you can take to kickstart your journey to a healthier lifestyle:

1. Assess your current sleep and nutrition consumption patterns:

   • Ensure you have 8-10 hours of sleep everyday.

   • Reflect on your sleep patterns using tips from this article.

   • Eat meals at regular meal timings.

   • Track your daily nutrient intake.

   • Engage a nutritionist/ dietician for a thorough assessment of your current nutritional status.

2. Implement these changes over time to allow your body to adapt and review which nutrients are most beneficial for you.

   • Take a high carbohydrate (>130g) meal 4 hours before bedtime.

   • Eat 2 kiwifruit 1 hour before bedtime.

   • Eat food high in protein more than 1 hour before bedtime.

   • Consume tart cherry juice (30ml concentrate) in the morning and in the evening.

Reference

Doherty, R., Madigan, S., Warrington, G., & Ellis, J. G. (2025). Sleep and nutrition for athletes. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665124007535

About the Contributor: Chow Chun Yu

Chun Yu is a graduate from Nanyang Technological University, where he pursued a degree in Psychology. He is especially drawn to industrial-organisational and behavioural psychology as he is interested in how people think, feel, and work, particularly in creating better workplaces through HR practices, employee engagement, and a strong organisational culture. He has had the chance to explore these areas during research internships at MINDEF, where he looked into ways to measure motivation, engagement, and workplace safety using both traditional and novel methods. Beyond research, he has also taught in a special needs school and served as a section commander in the military. These experiences have shaped his desire to work in roles that make a meaningful difference in how people experience their work.

About the Contributor: Tan Meng Xiang, Danial

Danial is a Psychology major at the Singapore Management University’s School of Social Sciences. Passionate about Biopsychology, Medicine and Clinical Interventions, he contributes to research projects at the A*STAR Institute of Human Development and Potential (IHDP), including the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) study. His academic and research pursuits are driven by a deep interest in understanding the biological underpinnings of human behavior and developing evidence-based approaches to mental health care.

Disclaimer

The summaries and discussions presented here are based on published research in the field of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. They are intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice, diagnosis, or prescribed treatment.

Always seek the advice of your doctor, mental health professional, or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or mental health concerns. This includes inquiries about changes to your existing routine or the implementation of any strategies mentioned that might have significant implications on your health.

Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here.