Sleep quality and sex modify the relationships between trait energy and fatigue on state energy and fatigue

The objective of this study was to identify the associations between trait energy and fatigue with state energy fatigue, as well as exploring if these relationships interacted with sex and/or sleep quality. The study population included a convenience sample of adults and college students (n ranges from 687 to 694). Key measures were state and trait mental and physical energy and fatigue scales, PSQI (a measure of sleep quality), and sex. Multiple regression models included age, polyphenol consumption, POMS scores, physical activity, mental load, and caffeine consumption as covariates. Analyses yielded a strong (r = .65) positive association between each trait and state variable. Overall, several statistically significant interactions were identified. First, the relationship between state and trait physical fatigue was particularly strong for women with high trait scores. There were also interactions with sleep quality. In the case of physical fatigue, poor sleep quality magnified the association between physical fatigue trait and state among those with low trait physical fatigue, while sleep quality did not make a difference for those with high trait physical fatigue. Conversely, in the case of physical energy and mental fatigue, good sleep quality was associated with both higher “highs” and lower “lows” of their respective traits; both interactions were present only among males. Our analyses suggest that sleep quality and sex could influence the effects of trait physical and mental energy and fatigue on state. Findings were more complex than initially assumed, suggesting that the interrelationship between trait and state may be modified by how males and females react and adapt to their trait.