3 Sneaky Ways Your Sleep Habits Are Messing Up
Muscle Growth
By Joseph Arangio, MS, CSCS
Seemingly innocent activities before bedtime can screw up the
natural release of muscle-building substances, like GH and
testosterone.
Sleep Tip #1: Avoid Stimulants
As a general rule, avoid caffeine six to eight hours before
bedtime. Caffeine blocks brain receptors that promote
sleep. "It causes physiological arousal which makes it more
difficult to fall asleep," says Shawn Youngstedt, Ph.D., sleep
scientist from the University of California, San Diego.
Plus caffeine decreases the deep, growth hormone-rich stages of
sleep.
Sleep Tip #2: Reduce Stress
Balancing your checkbook immediately before bed or discussing
business on the telephone is not a good idea.
In addition, watching scary stuff (like The Exorcist... google it)
too close to bedtime might make you anxious and unsettled and make
the transition into sleep tricky. "Anything that causes autonomic
nervous system arousal will impair sleep due to increases in heart
rate, breathing, and sweat production," says Dr. Youngstedt.
Sleep Tip #3: Skip the Nightcap
Sure, alcohol may make you sleepy after dinner, but the sleep that
you get is superficial and hardly restful. Alcohol prevents
you from achieving the deep, restorative sleep associated
with growth hormone production.
And when you don't recover from your workouts, muscle growth
suffers.
If you consume alcohol, moderation and timing are the keys to
ensuring deep, continuous sleep.
Want superhero muscles? One drink, six hours before bedtime, is the
limit.
==================
If you think this can help one of your drinking buddies, pass it
along.
Train hard,
No comments:
Post a Comment