Does Sleep Impact Your Gains?

Yes, and probably much more than you think.

Sleep disruptions can have a negative impact on exercise performance due to decreased muscle protein synthesis and elevations in proteolysis. In other words, your body is breaking down the protein that you need to be building up.

With sleep deprivation, Testosterone and IGF-1 (a hormone that has an anabolic effect on us) can be blunted and cortisol levels can be elevated. Cortisol is a catabolic hormone that breaks down muscle protein. We aim to LIMIT this as we want to be as anabolic as possible in oder to build muscle.

Research indicates that short sleep duration may be sex specific with a greater detriment on lean muscle mass in women compare to men.

Need help with your sleep patterns? Then Melatonin supplementation is key. After a year of melatonin treatment, studies found that is positively effected lean muscle mass by helping to regulate sleep patterns.

So what does this mean for you? Sleep requirements are individually based but it’s recommended to aim for 7-9 hours each night. The best way to gauge sleep needs is based on how you are feeling, especially while training. If you are fatigued and lethargic then adjust your sleep schedule accordingly.