Sleep for Gains
According to the latest scientific findings, the association between exercise and sleep is very strong and gaining more attention. More so, physiological processes that happen during sleep are tied to critical bodily functions such as cellular restoration, energy conservation, weight maintenance, insulin production and heart health.
It is a well-known fact that a lack of quality sleep dysregulates hormones making one crave starchy carbohydrates and other unhealthy food, impacting physical, emotional, and mental health. You are more susceptible to diseases, infections, and mental health disorders.
A good night’s rest allows the body to recover and recharge, leaving you feeling refreshed and energetic when you awake.
Sleep Involves Several Stages
Sleep involves several stages. The sleep cycle of a healthy adult consists of four distinct stages. The first three stages are considered non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and the last stage is considered rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Each is linked to specific brain waves and neuronal activity. You cycle through all stages on non-REM and REM sleep several times during the night, with increasingly longer, deeper REM periods occurring in the morning.
NREM 1 – this is the changeover from wakefulness to sleep. It is short in duration, several minutes of light sleep. In this stage, your heartbeat, breathing and eye movements slow, muscles begin to relax and may twitch occasionally.
NREM 2 – in this stage you enter a deeper sleep. All the above-mentioned body systems slow further. Your body temperature drops, and eye movements stop. Brain wave activity slows but is marked by brief bursts of electrical activity. Research has shown that people spend most of their sleep cycles in stage 2 than in other sleep stages.
NREM 3 – this is the period of deep sleep that is required so that you awake feeling refreshed in the morning. It occurs in longer periods during the first half of the night. Your heartbeat and breathing slow to their lowest levels during sleep. Muscles are most relaxed, and it may be difficult to awaken you. Brain waves are at their slowest.
REM – this occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep. Your eyes move rapidly from side to side behind closed eyelids. Mixed frequency brain waves activity becomes closer to that seen when you are awake. Breathing is intensified and irregular, and your heart rate and blood pressure increase to near waking levels. This is the dream stage although some dreams can occur in the other stages as well. Your arm and leg muscles become temporarily paralyzed, which prevents you from acting out your dreams. As you age, you sleep less of your time in REM sleep.
The Importance of Sleep for Faster Muscle Gains.
Science has shown a direct link between sleep habits and muscle growth. Studies have shown that, mostly in males, those who slept for less than 6 hours a night had noticeably less muscle strength than those that slept 7 hours or more. Studies have also proven that improving your sleep hygiene produced a more qualitative sleep.
Sleeps also seems to have a powerful effect on not only muscle recovery, growth, and retention but also on promoting fat loss.
As mentioned above, sleep deprivation dysregulates hormonal balance thereby affecting anabolic hormones such as testosterone.
Not only does sleep affect your body on a cellular and hormonal level, but also affects your workout ability.
More insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1): getting enough sleep will also raise our IGF-1 levels, allowing you to better recruit satellite cells into muscle fibres, which is critical for overcoming size and strength plateaus.
Less cortisol: getting enough sleep reduces chronic cortisol levels, reducing muscle breakdown and increasing muscle growth.
Less Inflammation: getting better sleep reduces chronic inflammation, speeding up muscle repair, reducing our risk of injury, and improving our general health.
How much sleep is required to support muscle gain?
Although this will vary in people, researchers suggest between 7-9 hours per night, with more active people requiring closer to the higher end or even slightly above this range.
Tips to improve sleep quality and total sleep duration.
Sleep hygiene
avoid using electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed.
use the bedroom for sleep and relaxation.
try to adhere to a consistent sleep schedule.
dim the lights.
keep your bedroom cool.
Avoid caffeine 6 hours before bed. Also, avoid taking pre-workout formulas containing caffeine in the same time frame.
Manage chronic stress and anxiety.
Exercise – both cardio and weight training or being active improves the quality of sleep.
Get enough sun during the day as sunlight increases melatonin production.
Avoid alcohol at night.
Try to eat at least 2 hours before going to bed. Ensure your meals are balanced in protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates.
All the above measures help ensure that you develop a good circadian rhythm:
Your body will then start producing melatonin consistently every night to help you fall asleep more quickly and deeply.
You will produce cortisol an hour before you awake so you will feel refreshed in the morning.
You will stop producing cortisol at night, which can affect sleep quality.
You will stop producing urine at night, so you will have less interrupted sleep.
Food for sleep
Some foods and supplements are beneficial for improving sleep.
Cherries, corn, asparagus, tomatoes, nuts, grains, and oats – improve both sleep quality and quantity as they contain high amounts of melatonin and serotonin.
Zinc- found in seafood, meat, nuts, and vegetables – improves sleep quality.
Ashwagandha – reduces stress, increases testosterone, and lowers cortisol production.
Magnesium- relaxes muscles and regulates sleep as well as reduces anxiety and stress. Found in leafy green vegetables, nuts, legumes, wholegrains.
