(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Extra sleep may be the ticket to a winning season for athletes.

According to new research conducted at Stanford University, getting extra zzzz's boosted sprint times and free-throw abilities among six members of the school's basketball team.

The study began with researchers collecting baseline information on the players, including how much sleep they were getting on a regular basis. From there, researchers instructed the players to get as much extra sleep as they could. The investigators then compared sprint times and free-throw abilities in the periods before and after the students got the extra sleep.

Results showed significant improvements in both measures of performance in the extra sleep period. The students also reported experiencing less fatigue, increased energy and improved mood during games and practices.

"Although much research has established the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive function, mood and performance, relatively little research has investigated the effects of extra sleep over multiple nights on these variables, and even less on the specific relationship between extra sleep and athletic performance," study author Cheri Mah was quoted as saying.

"This study illuminated this latter relationship and showed that obtaining extra sleep was associated with improvements in indicators of athletic performance and mood among members of the men's basketball team."