Introduction: The aim was observe the influence of sleep deprivation (SD) and sleep recovery on muscle regeneration process in rats submitted to cryolesion.
Methods: Thirty-two Wistar rats were randomly allocated in four groups: control (CTL), SD for 96 h (SD96), control plus sleep recovery period (CTL + R) and SD96h plus 96 h of sleep recovery (SD96 + R). The animals were submitted to muscle injury by cryolesioning, after to SD and sleep recovery.
Results: The major outcomes of this study were the reduction of muscular IGF-1 in both legs (injured and uninjured) and a delay in muscle regeneration process of animals submitted to SD compared to animals that slept, with increase connective tissue, inflammatory infiltrate and minor muscle fibers.
Conclusions: SD impairs muscle regeneration in rats, moreover reduces muscular IGF-1 and sleep recovery was able to restore it to basal levels, but it was not enough to normalize the muscle regeneration.
Keywords: IGF-1; muscle recovery; skeletal muscle; sleep loss.