146 Better Aerobic Fitness Is Associated with Distinct Sleep Characteristics in Adolescents

Introduction Aerobic fitness facilitates brain synaptic plasticity, which influences global and local sleep expression. While it is known that sleep patterns/behavior and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep slow wave activity (SWA) tracks brain maturation, little is known about how aerobic fitness and sleep interact during development in youth. The aim of this pilot was to characterize relationships among aerobic fitness, measures of global/local sleep expression, and habitual sleep patterns in children and adolescents. We hypothesized that greater aerobic fitness would be associated with better sleep quality, indicated by increased SWA. Methods 20 adolescents (mean age=14.6±2.3 years old, range 11-17, 11 females) were evaluated for AF (peak VO2 assessed by ramp-type progressive cycle ergometry in the laboratory), habitual sleep duration and efficiency (continuous 7-14 day actigraphy with sleep diary), and topographic patterns of spectral power in slow wave, theta, and sleep spindle frequency ranges in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep using overnight polysomnography with high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG, 128 channels). Results Significant relationships were observed between peak VO2 and habitual bedtime (r=-0.604, p=0.013) and wake-up time (r=-0.644, p=0.007), with greater fitness associated with an earlier sleep schedule (going to bed and waking up earlier). Peak VO2 was a significant predictor of slow oscillations (0.5-1Hz, p=0.018) and theta activity (4.5-7.5Hz, p=0.002) over anterior frontal and central derivations (p