Anybody who’s looking to improve their physique and health through exercise should always consider the rest the body needs in order to recuperate. Sleep is one of the biggest factors in exercise and often one of the most overlooked. Sleep is a major part as this is when the body rebuilds itself and recovers.
One way sleep affects the body is how it manages the glucose metabolism levels. The body produces the energy it needs every day by metabolizing glucose. It is vital to tissue repair and energy production, especially during endurance activities, like marathons. If the body doesn’t receive enough rest the glucose metabolism can be slowed by 30-40%, which can lead to impaired tissue repair and decreased endurance amongst other problems.
Dr. Eve Cauter Ph.D from the University of Chicago Medical School recently performed a study where they monitored 11 men in three different durations of sleep, all aged from 18-27. For the first three nights the subjects slept eight hours, four hours for the next six nights and twelve hours for the last seven nights. Dr Van Cauter found the body’s functions in all subjects rapidly deteriorated similar to the elderly. Higher levels of cortisol which have been shown to cause impaired memory, decreased recovery in athletes, decreased glycogen synthesis, slower activity of Human Growth Hormone and early instances of insulin resistance.
Taking all of the factors into careful consideration athletes should follow a suitable sleep schedule in order to get the most out of their exercise and perform to their highest level. Monitoring sleep should always be part of a healthy exercise routine to ensure your body is getting all the rest it requires. Every athlete should know their bodies limits and be attentive to how their body feels, gathering more information from exercise programs to find a suitable routine for each individual would be highly recommended.
To Summarize:
Lack of sleep leads to:
• Poor Memory
• Chronic Diabetes
• Increased Levels of Stress
• Lower Human Growth Hormone Levels
A better sleeping pattern can help:
• Increase your bodies endurance
• Faster recovery rates
• Less risk of injury
Ways to merge sleep into your exercise routine:
• Create a sleep diary
• Keep a training log to monitor your body’s condition each day
• Modify sleeping patterns during resting periods of routines
