Benefits of Sleep for Exercise Recovery
Exercise causes physical stress on the body, but the body alters as a result of the exercise stimulus throughout the post-exercise recovery period between sessions. One of the most efficient ways to recuperate following a hard exercise is one you probably already do, but aren’t doing enough of or aren’t utilizing to its best potential. Getting enough sleep is a sure-fire way to promote recuperation so that your workout routine provides the outcomes you want. Let’s find out more about how sleep is beneficial to sleep recovery.
Why is rest and recovery important in training?
In all levels of athletic training, short-term recovery is critical for maintaining and enhancing performance as well as avoiding injury. Short-term recovery, also known as active recovery, comprises the lower-intensity cool-down period following a strenuous workout as well as a full rest day with low-intensity exercise such as walking, stretching, yoga, or other cross training. Short-term healing also necessitates replacing lost energy and fluids, as well as receiving enough sleep.
Prior to and after exercise, the quality of your sleep is crucial. Because deep sleep is when growth hormone is produced, researchers believe that it is deep sleep that aids athletic performance. This is because this is the time when growth hormone, a hormone that is related to athletic performance, is released.
What is the relationship between sleep and athletic performance?
Regular exercisers report getting better quality sleep. While those who exercise vigorously reported the best sleep quality, even light exercisers reported better sleep than those who do not exercise at all.
Sleep deprivation’s effects on athletic performance are as follows:
- Slower muscle recovery
- Changes in mood
- Increase level of stress hormones, including cortisol
- Decreased glycogen synthesis
- Increased aerobic endurance
- Increased ratings of perceived exertion
How much sleep should I get?
This entirely depends on the amount of exercise you do and how often you do it. To preserve their stamina, elite athletes are known to sleep 10-12 hours a night while training and nap throughout the day.
Each individual is unique. If you’re new to exercising, you could fall asleep sooner after a lengthy run than a seasoned runner. You should review your sleep demands based on how you feel, just as you do with your food. You’re undoubtedly sleep deprived if you fall asleep as soon as you climb into bed and struggle to wake up with your alarm.
The bottom-line
Getting the best quality and quantity of sleep is one of the most efficient ways to allow your body to recover from one day’s workout and properly prepare for the next exercise session, and getting the best quality and quantity of sleep is one of the most efficient ways to allow your body to recover from one day’s workout and to properly prepare for the next exercise session.