The Importance Of Sleep For Muscle Recovery

Incorporating the right quantity of high quality sleep as part of your post workout recovery can not only have positive long-term effects on your overall wellbeing but also contribute to faster muscle growth.

You can train as hard as you like, take the right supplements, have your nutrition sorted, lift weights, and still not be getting the best from your workouts.

Sleep plays a crucial role as part of a holistic approach for optimal health, especially for gym goers and bodybuilders.

The Different Sleep Cycles

Before we talk about sleep as a recovery method, it is important to understand the various sleep cycles.

There are two different cycles of sleep, REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM sleep. Typically, the cycles begin with Non-REM cycles which can be broken down into three phases.

• Phase 1 which is the transition period between alertness and sleep and is the shortest phase experienced.
• Phase 2 is the baseline of sleep; your heartrate is regular, and your body temperature begins to drop.
• Phase 3 also known as the delta sleep, your blood pressure drops, and you experience slower and deeper breathing providing higher levels of oxygen to your muscles.

It is during these non-REM phases of sleep, especially Phase 3 that your muscles repair, restore and undergo the majority of their growth.

The body then enters the REM sleep cycle, which accounts for 20-25% of your sleep throughout the night. REM sleep occurs in 90-120-minute cycles and a standard 8-hour night, generally means 1.5 -2.5 hours of REM sleep. It is during this period, when your mind rejuvenates and recovers. REM sleep is crucial for restoring the mind, resulting in a more motivated and focused brain each day.

Aid Your Post Workout Recovery

There are two key reasons quality sleep will aid your post workout recovery and help attain your fitness goals faster.

Sleep is crucial for building muscle mass

Firstly, sleep is crucial for building muscle mass and banishing muscle soreness. During sleep, especially phase 3 non-REM, your body naturally releases the human growth hormone (HGH). This hormone stimulates growth and cell regeneration, and aids protein synthesis. Disruption to your sleeping patterns can alter the release of HGH, as generally it is the early stages of sleep when HGH is at its highest concentration in the body and when the majority of muscle growth and repair occurs. A lack of HGH production can negatively impact your health and fitness goals as your muscles are unable to repair after a workout and you may experience muscle soreness longer.

Secondly, sustaining a quality 7-9 hours (depending) of sleep a night allows your brain to fully recover and rest. All physical exercise requires the ability to process information quickly as well as mental alertness to best perform. Without quality sleep, your brain function is limited, slowing reaction times, lowering energy levels as well as increasing the risk of injury. Mental alertness is key in helping you get the most out of the time you put in at the gym. By achieving REM sleep for the recommended 1.5-2.5 hours a night allows your brain to fully replenish its energy stores, therefore maintaining a clear, focused and motivated mind.

Final Thoughts

Sleep deprivation can significantly inhibit any progress you hope to make in the gym, as physical training is only a tiny fraction of a much bigger growth process.

A lack of quality sleep can result in higher cortisol levels and low HGH production and therefore hinder any muscle growth and repair.

We have listed a few suggestions to get the most from your sleep and aid your post workout recovery.

• Avoid stimulants such as alcohol and caffeine at night
• Develop and stick to sleep schedule
• Breathing exercises
• Take a warm bath
• 2 hours after a workout take a short (20-30min) powernap
• No technology after 8:30pm

There are many ways to improve your quality and quantity of sleep and it is important to find a balance between exercise, nutrition, rest and recovery that works best for you.

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