Many of us struggle getting enough restful sleep. We chug our morning jug of coffee to compensate for lack of sleep to get us though our day. Sleep is one of the most important components of any fitness program. Many of you are aware of the benefits of sleep for our emotional well being, mental alertness and energy levels. The importance of sleep in regards to fitness and particularly muscle recovery and growth are many times overlooked and sacrificed.
Your sleep patterns are generally regulated by your biological clock, an internal mechanism which releases certain chemicals in the body which increase sleep or alertness when the daylight arrives. During the morning hours our body secretes chemicals like adrenaline and dopamine which allow us to be alert. Adrenaline Adrenaline is a hormone and neurotransmitter. It is a catecholamine, a sympathomimetic monoamine derived from the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine. Dopamine Dopamine is a neurotransmitter occurring in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five types of dopamine receptors. During the evening hours as the sunlight decreases our bodies increase the secretion of chemicals such as serotonin, melatonin and GABA while simultaneously decreasing adrenaline, dopamine etc. This allows you to relax and prepare for sleep. Serotonin Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) and enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract Melatonin Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone. Circulating levels vary in a daily cycle, and melatonin is important in the regulation of the circadian rhythms of several biological functions. GABA Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. It plays an important role in regulating neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system. *Wikepida RAPID EYE MOVEMENT (REM) Our sleep is a series of cycles. I once believed that when I hit the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) portion of the sleep cycle that was the deepest sleep and most restful. I have found that REM (usually when dreams occur) is actually not very restful at all. REM is often called stage 5 in the sleep cycle. During the course of the night we go in and out of the various sleep stages. During REM sleep we experience rapid back and forth movement of our eyes, our heartrate increases, blood pressure raises and breathing becomes faster. THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP ON MUSCLE AND ENERGY RECOVERY Sleep dramatically impacts your entire body. It's during sleep that your body recovers from exercise, repairs itself and grows new muscle tissue. Your body maximizes its output of growth hormone during sleep, and is the reason that sleep is considered anabolic. Sleep also replenishes critical neurotransmitters (specialized chemicals) that you need to build and repair muscle effectively and safely. These neurotransmitters include dopamine, adrenalin, noradrenalin, acetylcholine and more. NEUROTRANSMITTERS Anyone who has trained with me has heard me speak about neurotransmitters and muscle contractions during our workouts. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate signals between a neuron and another cell. (I will spare you the science lesson and not get too deep here.) These chemicals are responsible for focus, attention, motivation, overall energy levels and muscular contractions. These chemicals are depleted by hard training and everyday activities. Only sleep allows your body to repair itself and replenish the chemicals that are needed for best results. IMMUNE SYSTEM When you workout hard, especially strength training, we break down the muscle fibres. This also taxes our immune system Sleeping is important for your immune system, for your mental health and for the millions of biochemical processes that occur in your body every day. If you don't get enough sleep your body will not function optimally, your health will decline, and your results will suffer. SLEEP DEPRIVATION Most everyone has suffered the consequences of not getting enough deep sleep. Not only does it make us "groggy", cranky and not focused but it also will affect our hormone levels by not allowing testosterone and HGH to be secreted effectively. This will then throw off our estrogen balance as well. Yes, both men and women have testosterone and estrogen. The body seeks to maintain a natural balance (depending on your sex). As a result, failing to get enough sleep can trigger rises in system-wide inflammation, increases in cortisol levels, muscle wasting and an increase in body fat. Failing to get enough sleep will reduce anabolic hormone levels and disrupt the normal functioning of your body. As a workout enthusiast and fitness fanatic, we workout hard, try to eat nutritious foods and may even take supplements to ensure our calories are nutrient dense. However, in our quest for the "perfect body" or optimum fitness, we often overlook one of the most vital steps to ensure we reach our goals. Next week I will discuss how to achieve a good night's sleep and steps we can take to ensure our bodies get the most anabolic environment during our sleep.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Josh McCabeAs a Personal Trainer, I am here to help you live the healthiest life style possible! This includes eating habits, workouts and just living well! Ask questions, share ideas and cheer one another on! Categories |
Photo used under Creative Commons from Mr. Vincent Freeman