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Brainhub guide

Studying around a training schedule

When time is the scarce thing, short spaced sessions and protected sleep get the most from every hour.

Written by the Brainhub Editorial Team Cites published research Updated 13 Oct 2026 6 min read

Key takeaways

1. Why spacing suits athletes

Research on spacing shows that spreading study across many short sessions works better than cramming the same time into one. That is good news for athletes: three 20-minute sessions across a week can beat one exhausted hour.[1]

2. A weekly template

When
What
Before school or training
15 minutes of flashcards on one topic
Travel to fixtures
Quiz app or flashcards, no new content
Rest day
One 45-minute block: past-paper questions
Evening after training
Light review only, then sleep
Sunday
Plan the week around the fixture list

3. Protect sleep

Teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep. For athletes, sleep supports both physical recovery and memory, so late-night revision after an evening session is a bad trade.[2]

Train hard, revise in short bursts, sleep properly. All three are part of the job.

4. A dual career

The European Commission’s guidelines on dual careers encourage young athletes to combine sport with education, because most will need a second career, and education supports wellbeing during the sporting one.[3]

For parents and coaches: Share the exam timetable with the club early so training can flex around key dates.

Try it now

Test yourself on this page

Answer in your head first, then check.

  1. 1. Why do short sessions suit athletes?

  2. 2. What should you do on travel days?

  3. 3. Why is sleep doubly important for athletes?

Your next steps

  • Map your training week and find three 15 to 20-minute study slots.
  • Make a flashcard set for travel days.
  • Share your exam dates with your coach.

Sources

  1. Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T. and Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: a review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.3.354
  2. Paruthi, S. et al. (2016). Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: a consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 12(6), 785–786. doi:10.5664/jcsm.5866
  3. European Commission (2012). EU Guidelines on Dual Careers of Athletes. op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/3648359d-61c4-4132-b247-3438ee828450

This guide is general study advice. Every student is different. A teacher can help you work out what fits.