“I can hardly sleep after such a long day at the office, and that workout only got me more hyper! Mine as well just stay up watch some Netflix before work tomorrow, I earned a little rest and relaxation!”
Though your body and mind need rest and relaxation, this person is actually doing much more damage than he/she is helping their situation. Sleep is detrimental to our bodies, minds and our very lives. Humans are so complex, even when we sleep, our brains and bodies are still busy at work repairing itself, and making us strong enough to tackle the next day. The question we pose today is, how does sleep actually effect weight loss and muscle gain, if it does at all?
First how much sleep is enough to profit from the much needed benefits that we will be discussing? Scientist’s state 8hrs of sleep is what the human body needs to sufficiently revitalize itself after a long day of work. However, we all have those people in our lives that either sleep 12 hrs a day and are still groggy when they wake up or the exact opposite of those who sleep maybe 4 hrs a night and wake up feeling like a million bucks. We cannot only look at how many hours we sleep, but how much REM sleep we actually obtain. A quick definition of REM sleep is a category of sleep which occurs in intervals and is characterized by the Rapid Eye Movement which automatically happens when you are within the deepest level of your sleep. It is stated that the average adult gets 1- 2 hours of REM sleep during an average of 8 hrs of sleep, which once again differs from each person. The amount of sleep which is sufficient for adults is around 7- 8 hrs of sleep!
Now during non-REM sleep (which is around 40% of the total time you are sleeping) your blood pressure drops and your breathing slows which results in much deeper breaths. Side note: If you ever had a good gym teacher or coach when you were younger, he or she would have told you to place your hands on your head and breathe deeply after a strenuous cardiovascular exercise. What this does is get consistent and rich oxygen in to your lungs which assist you in recovery. While you sleep there is significantly reduced activity of your brain, meaning that oxygen rich blood is concentrated heavily towards repairing your muscles all over the rest of your body. The nutrients and blood that is flowing facilitates growth and muscle repair. One of the most important factors in regards to that non- REM sleep time is what else is pumped through your body during that time. The secretion of HGH (Human Growth Hormone) stimulates the repair and growth of muscles after they have been put under tension. Lack of sleep severely declines the secretion of HGH, and prolonged abnormalities in the sleep schedule will result in muscle loss and reduced exercise capacity. Overall, sleeping 7 to 8 hrs assists with muscle protein synthesis and regulates the secretion of human growth hormone which is a colossal element when you are looking to build muscle.
With an abundance of research tailored towards connecting muscle growth and sleep, is there any correlation between weight loss and sleep? Surprisingly there have been a number of studies dedicated to lack of sleep and weight gain. One study (the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) showed that late night snacking with high carb foods, increased dramatically when the person lacked sleep. A second study showed that portion sizes grew within the control group when they had inadequate sleep, along with increased craving for high carb foods. Biologically speaking, some studies indicate that consistent sleep deprivation can lead to metabolic disorders and other chronic health issues; however metabolism is not directly affected by sleep. The process in which the body converts what we eat and drink into energy and all of our activities that are performed is a part of the metabolic affect, however when we sleep our metabolisms are actually slowed by 15%.
In conclusion, though sleep is imperative for muscle growth and overall health, it does not hold the same importance or same affects for weight loss. Within the research that I found, there were more studies based upon weight gain due to sleep irregularity rather than any weight loss outcomes that can actually transpire from lack or an abundance of sleep. In my opinion, creating a consistent sleep schedule will have many positive effects that encompass the potential gains that you make. This is why it is stated that rest is as important as working out. If you have hit a plateau in your weight training or just beginning your journey, follow me on Instagram @spartan_alliance25 and shoot me a DM!
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