Word Count: 250 23 Text-Only Word Count: 4198 24 Number of Figures: 2 25 Number of Tables: 3 26 ABSTRACT 1 Purpose: This study examined the effects of overnight sleep deprivation on recovery 2 following competitive rugby league matches. 3 Methods: Eleven male, amateur rugby league players performed two competitive matches, 4 followed by either a normal night's sleep (~8h; CONT) or a sleep deprived night (~0h; 5 SDEP) in a randomised fashion. Testing was conducted the morning of the match, and 6

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... immediately post-match, 2h post and the next morning (16h post-match). Measures included 7 counter-movement jump (CMJ) distance, knee extensor maximal voluntary contraction 8 (MVC), voluntary activation (VA), venous blood creatine kinase (CK) and C-reactive protein 9 (CRP), perceived muscle soreness and a word-colour recognition cognitive function test. 10 Percent change between post-and 16h post-match was reported to determine the effect of the 11 intervention the next morning. 12 Results: Large effects indicated a greater post-to 16h post-match percentage decline in CMJ 13 distance following SDEP compared to CONT (P=0.10-0.16; d=0.95-1.05). Similarly, the 14 percentage decline in incongruent word-colour reaction times were increased in SDEP trials 15 (P=0.007; d=1.75). Measures of MVC did not differ between conditions (P=0.40-0.75; 16 d=0.13-0.33), though trends for larger percentage decline in VA were detected in SDEP 17 (P=0.19; d=0.84). Further, large effects indicated higher CK and CRP responses 16h post-18 match during SDEP compared to CONT (P=0.11-0.87; d=0.80-0.88). 19 Conclusions: Sleep deprivation negatively affected recovery following a rugby league 20 match, specifically impairing CMJ distance and cognitive function. Practitioners should 21 promote adequate post-match sleep patterns or adjust training demands the next day to 22 accommodate the altered physical and cognitive state following sleep deprivation. 23 24