Why Sleep Is So Important For Performance And Recovery

We help people identify ways to improve their physical at Liv Fitness in Livermore, CA. Our trainers provide personalized fitness workouts. We also provide nutrition plans specifically designed to improve performance and recovery. One factor most people overlook that affects your workout and progress is the amount of sleep you get. Adequate sleep is vital to all efforts of humans, both mental and physical.

You need to get adequate sleep to regenerate muscle tissue.

When you sleep, your body heals, and your mind reorganizes. Sleep is necessary if you want the best results when you’re building muscle tissue. The body creates new cells and repairs damaged muscle tissue. The damage can occur due to injury or from exercise. The damage from exercise is what builds muscle tissue. Sleep is also when the body releases HGH—human growth hormone. HGH starts the repair process.

Adequate sleep is heart healthy.

You don’t have to be an athlete to get heart-healthy benefits from adequate sleep. Sleep rests your entire body, including your heart. The various stages of sleep control heart rate throughout the night, promoting cardiovascular health as you rest. Sleep also helps boost your immune system to keep you healthy. The body creates cytokines during sleep. These hormones help boost the immune system. The healthier you are, the more improved your performance.

Lack of sleep can lead to a bad attitude.

Not only are you crankier when you lack sleep, but you tend to be more apathetic and willing to give up easier. That alone can affect your performance. If you aren’t willing to push harder, it dramatically diminishes the gains you make. Sleep also helps athletes learn new skills. When you sleep, it helps organize the brain and create new memories to maintain new information. Lack of sleep affects cognitive functioning. Most sports require more than just a strong body. They also require a strong mind and the ability to plan and adapt to new situations. Sleep helps you both mentally and physically.

  • Most adults require between 7 to 9 hours of sleep. A small group requires 6 hours or less and a similarly sized group requires 10 or more hours. Just as there is no perfect exercise plan for everyone, there’s also no perfect amount of sleep for all people.
  • Quality sleep positively affects athletic performance, and a lack of sleep has a detrimental effect. A great number of concerns can arise when athletes do not receive adequate sleep:
  • Studies show that tennis players who lacked sleep had decreased accuracy. They also found that volleyball players and runners became exhausted more quickly when they were sleep-deprived.
  • Another study found that lack of sleep negatively affected reaction time in male athletes. Other studies showed sleep deprivation also increased the risk of injury during sports.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness


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