Proper Sleep is Important!!

Most of us spend a lot of time thinking about how to improve training and nutrition for better results. But one factor that oftentimes gets neglected is the effect proper sleep. A 2010 study investigated the effects of sleep on body composition in people that were maintaining a moderate calorie deficit [1]. The researchers found that sleeping around 8 hours per day resulted in more fat loss and muscle preservation compared to sleeping only around 5 hours per day.
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A more recent 2018 study confirms that sleep loss decreases fat loss and muscle maintenance [2]. Increased hunger after sleep restriction may have played a role with decreased fat loss, causing the participants to subconsciously overeat [3]. Chronically elevated levels of cortisol and myostatin after sleep loss help explain the lower muscle maintenance when sleep-restricted.
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Other research shows proper sleep is an easy way to improve your strength performance and prevent feeling overly fatigued during exercise [4]. Lastly, sleep also has an effect on injury prevention. A 2014 study found an increased risk of injury in athletes that had a chronic lack of sleep [5]. Athletes that slept less than 8 hours per day were 1.7x more likely to get injured compared to athletes that slept 8 or more hours per day.
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Now, this post is not meant to “scare” you about the negative effects of poor sleep. You certainly still can make progress if you train consistently and eat well, even if your sleep is not optimal. But improving sleep is one of the most simple things you can do to enhance your fitness results.
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References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951287/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29438540
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC535424/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29352373
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2502879815h