Sleep is fascinating. We all know it is good for us, and most of us would like to get more, yet, according to research, 43.2% of adults are sleep deprived.

That’s almost half the population wandering around like caffeine-addicted zombies with brain fog because of poor sleep.

Sleep is fascinating. We all know it is good for us, and most of us would like to get more, yet, according to research, 43.2% of adults are sleep deprived.

That’s almost half the population wandering around like caffeine-addicted zombies with brain fog because of poor sleep.

This sleep deprivation is not normal or healthy!

Reduced sleep duration has been linked to seven of the fifteen leading causes of death in the U.S.

Poor sleep will:

• Disrupt hormonal function
• Weaken your immune system
• Impair brain function
• Slow your metabolism
• Increase appetite and cravings
• Reduce coordination

Start to Prioritize Your Sleep

Essentially, sleep deprivation will hinder every health, performance, coordination, hormonal, and recovery marker.

This translates to you being unhappy, weaker, fatter, slower, and carrying less muscle mass.

In this episode, I cover what the research on sleep shows and provide you with strategies to improve your sleep.

Sleep is your body’s most powerful recovery tool.

It’s time you started treating it with the respect it deserves. Listen to the show now to find out how.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at

<a href=”mailto:tom@breakingmuscle.com>tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

The post Sleep is the Body’s Most Powerful Recovery Tool appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Most of the literature on sleep is regarding restriction and its impact on health and performance. However, there is a growing body of research on sleep extension and the potential implications on athletic performance. It’s relatively understood that sleep is a primary contributor to recovery and performance.

Despite this, it’s estimated over one-third of the American population is underslept.¹ The American Academy Of Sleep Medicine recommends individuals aged 18-60 sleep a minimum of seven hours a day.¹

Why Sleep Is Important

Failing to meet this requirement has been associated with various chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and various other deleterious health and performance outcomes.

One paper looking at the effects of sleep deprivation on resistance training performance found significant reductions in strength in the bench press, deadlift, and leg press. Additionally, the researchers observed² increased subjective feelings of difficulty and increased sleepiness scores. Reductions in strength were preserved until the fourth consecutive night of sleep restriction. Still, mood, fatigue, and other subjective sleep deprivation levels increased after just one night of nocturnal sleep restriction.²

Sleep Restrictions Have Detrimental Effects

A study³ looking at the cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic responses to sleep restriction in endurance-trained athletes found:

“After partial sleep deprivation, there were statistically significant increases in heart rate (P less than 0.05) and ventilation (P less than 0.05) at submaximal exercise compared with results obtained after the baseline night. Both variables were also significantly enhanced at maximal exercise, while the peak oxygen consumption (VO2) dropped (P less than 0.05) even though the maximal sustained exercise intensity was not different.”³

Sleep restriction reduces alertness, coordination, and other psychomotor characteristics, as was found in a 2009 paper⁴ by Edwards et al. whereby participants in the sleep-restricted group saw an associative decrease in performance of throwing darts.⁴

Sleep is known to play an important role in cognitive restitution, and research has consistently found impeded attentional mechanisms such as reaction time and coordination when sleep is restricted.⁵

Sleep restriction of varying degrees has also been shown to augment the time course to return to baseline performance.⁶

Chronic sleep restriction having a longer refractory period than acute restriction before returning to baseline.

One paper⁷ looking at the effects of sleep restriction on sprint performance and muscle glycogen content found:

“Sleep loss and associated reductions in muscle glycogen and perceptual stress reduced sprint performance and slowed pacing strategies during intermittent-sprint exercise for male team-sport athletes.”⁷

Various other studies have demonstrated a strong association between sleep deprivation and reduced muscular performance.^8,9

There are also considerable inter-individual differences in resilience about sleep deprivation, with some individuals experiencing greater performance dropoff than others under similar conditions.¹⁰

Body Composition and Performance

Also relevant but maybe less obvious is the role of body composition in performance.

This is likely more relevant to sports where weight classes exist and where the power-to-weight ratios are critical determinants of performance.

Sleep deprivation has been shown to have significant deleterious results on body composition, with one study¹¹ finding:

“Sleep curtailment decreased the proportion of weight lost as fat by 55% (1.4 vs. 0.6 kg with 8.5 vs. 5.5 hours of sleep opportunity, respectively; P = 0.043) and increased the loss of fat-free body mass by 60% (1.5 vs. 2.4 kg; P = 0.002). This was accompanied by markers of enhanced neuroendocrine adaptation to caloric restriction, increased hunger, and a shift in relative substrate utilization toward oxidation of less fat.”¹¹

Thus poor sleep can have an unfavorable impact on your body composition.

Sleep Extension’s Implications on Athletic Performance

Now that we’ve covered several of the potential consequences of sleep restriction, let’s shift gears and discuss the antithesis.

A 2011 paper¹² aimed to investigate the effects of sleep extension on various metrics of athletic performance and other cognitive measurements. The researchers found:

“Total objective nightly sleep time increased during sleep extension compared to baseline by 110.9 ± 79.7 min (P < 0.001). Subjects demonstrated a faster timed sprint following sleep extension (16.2 ± 0.61 sec at baseline vs. 15.5 ± 0.54 sec at end of sleep extension, P < 0.001). Shooting accuracy improved, with free throw percentage increasing by 9% and 3-point field goal percentage increasing by 9.2% (P < 0.001). Mean PVT reaction time and Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores decreased following sleep extension (P < 0.01). POMS scores improved with increased vigor and decreased fatigue subscales (P < 0.001). Subjects also reported improved overall ratings of physical and mental well-being during practices and games.”¹²

As you can see, there were significant increases in performance from baseline.

Subjects initially were sleeping between 6-9 hours per night, but during the intervention were instructed to record a minimum of 10 hours in bed each night.

It’s important to note that 10 hours in bed is not the same as 10 hours of sleep.

Due to obvious limitations, the study’s objective was to measure time in bed, a decent proxy for total sleep. However, it may not always be practical to adopt a10 hr nocturnal sleeping schedule.

A fragmented sleep pattern characterizes a bi-phasic (2 phases) or polyphasic (3+ phases) approach to sleep. This approach has demonstrated beneficial effects in subjects with sleep disorders.¹³

Napping has also been shown to improve cognitive performance^14,15 meaningfully.

Since total cumulative sleep throughout the day is a reasonable metric for recovery and athletic performance, utilizing naps can be an effective strategy to bolster total sleep, enhance recovery and athletic performance if extending nocturnal sleep is not a practical option.

One study found that just a 10-minute nap was enough to improve alertness and cognitive performance¹⁶ significantly. Longer naps of +30 minutes also have been shown to have significant benefits.

However, longer naps may lead to a phenomenon called sleep inertia. Essentially this is a period of cognitive impairment following arising from a longer duration nap (+30 minutes.)¹⁶

Sleep inertia does not persist throughout the day, but it may be beneficial to structure longer naps away from cognitively demanding tasks like work or training.

Practical Guidelines

The national institute of health outlines an additional resource to enhance the quality of your sleep.

1. Set a schedule: go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
2. Exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day but no later than a few hours before going to bed.
3. Avoid caffeine and nicotine late in the day and alcoholic drinks before bed.
4. Relax before bed: try a warm bath, reading, or another relaxing routine.
5. Create a room for sleep: avoid bright lights and loud sounds, keep the room at a comfortable temperature, and don’t watch TV or have a computer in your bedroom.
6. Don’t lie in bed awake. If you can’t get to sleep, do something else, like reading or listening to music, until you feel tired.
7. See a doctor if you have a problem sleeping or if you feel exhausted during the day.

There appears to be good evidence of sleep extension performance-enhancing effects up to 10 hours per night.

However, the benefit it confers may vary since recovery requirements are individual in nature.

Good luck!

Reference:

1. “1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep.” CDC Newsroom, Media Relations Press Release, Feb 18, 2016. Accessed March 24, 2021.

2. Thomas Reilly & Mark Piercy (1994). “The effect of partial sleep deprivation on weight-lifting performance.” Ergonomics, 37:1, 107-115.

3. Mougin F, Simon-Rigaud ML, Davenne D, Renaud A, Garnier A, Kantelip JP, Magnin P. “Effects of sleep disturbances on subsequent physical performance.” Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1991;63(2):77-82.

4. Edwards BJ, Waterhouse J. “Effects of one night of partial sleep deprivation upon diurnal rhythms of accuracy and consistency in throwing darts.” Chronobiol Int. 2009 May;26(4):756-68.

5. Morteza Taheri, and Elaheh Arabameri. “The Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Choice Reaction Time and Anaerobic Power of College Student-Athletes.” Asian J Sports Med. 2012, Mar; 3(1):15-20.

6. Belenky G, Wesensten NJ, Thorne DR, Thomas ML, Sing HC, Redmond DP, Russo MB, Balkin TJ. “Patterns of performance degradation and restoration during sleep restriction and subsequent recovery: a sleep dose-response study.” J Sleep Res. 2003 Mar;12(1):1-12.

7. Skein M, Duffield R, Edge J, Short MJ, Mündel T. “Intermittent-sprint performance and muscle glycogen after 30 h of sleep deprivation.” Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Jul;43(7):1301-11.

8. Bulbulian R, Heaney JH, Leake CN, Sucec AA, Sjoholm NT. “The effect of sleep deprivation and exercise load on isokinetic leg strength and endurance.” Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1996;73(3-4):273-7.

9. Takeuchi L, Davis GM, Plyley M, Goode R, Shephard RJ. ‘Sleep deprivation, chronic exercise, and muscular performance.” Ergonomics. 1985 Mar;28(3):591-601.

10. Money I, Waterhouse J, Atkinson G, Reilly T, Davenne D. “The effect of one night’s sleep deprivation on temperature, mood, and physical performance in subjects with different amounts of habitual physical activity.” Chronobiol Int. 1998 Jul;15(4):349-63.

11. Nedeltcheva AV, Kilkus JM, Imperial J, Schoeller DA, Penev PD. “Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity.” Ann Intern Med. 2010 Oct 5;153(7):435-41.

12. Cheri D. Mah, MS, Kenneth E. Mah, MD, MS, Eric J. Kezirian, MD, MPH, and William C. Dement, MD, Ph.D. “The Effects of Sleep Extension on the Athletic Performance of Collegiate Basketball Players.” Sleep. 2011 Jul 1; 34(7):943–950. Published online 2011 Jul 1. Accessed March 24, 2021.

13. MasayaTakahashif. “The role of prescribed napping in sleep medicine,” Science Direct. Sleep Medicine Reviews, Volume 7, Issue 3, June 2003, Pages 227-235. Accessed March 24, 2021.

14. Smith, S.S., Kilby, S., Jorgensen, G. et al. “Napping and nightshift work: Effects of a short nap on psychomotor vigilance and subjective sleepiness in health workers.” Sleep Biol. Rhythms 5, 117–125 (2007).

15. Mats Gillberg. “The effects of two alternative timings of a one-hour nap on early morning performance.” Biological Psychology. Volume 19, Issue 1, August 1984, Pages 45-54

16. Tietzel AJ, Lack LC. “The recuperative value of brief and ultra-brief naps on alertness and cognitive performance.” J Sleep Res. 2002 Sep;11(3):213-8.

The post Enhance Muscle And Strength With These Sleep Extension Techniques appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Athletes are well aware of the importance of proper training if they want to make progress. They are also aware of the need for proper nutrition. Often given short shrift, though, is the need for recovery from those workouts. We have discussed massage and other general methods of recovery. Now I will discuss the importance of adequate rest between workouts. Since we spend roughly a third of our lives asleep, I think it is important that we understand this process more, especially with regard to recovery from physical exercise.

How Much Sleep Do Athletes Need?

Most people are aware the body needs sleep. After all, sooner or later we get tired. But just how much sleep do we need? This is difficult to say because like many other things, it depends on individual differences. Some people need more sleep than others due to metabolic reasons. Even the same person at different stages of his life will need differing amounts of sleep. And even that individual will need different amounts of sleep depending on his or her activity level.

Young people will usually require seven to eight hours of sleep per night for optimum performance. That is, optimum for average daily living. When that young person decides to become involved in serious athletic training, then the need for extra sleep will soon rise. It has to. The more physical activity you do, the more the muscles and nervous system will break down in the natural course of experiencing stress on the body. That rebuilding is done during sleep for most part. So naturally, the more you do, the more time it’s going to take to rebuild those systems, and the more sleep you need.

What Happens During Sleep

What exactly happens when you hit the sack and get to dreamland? First of all, you will go through a light sleep stage. Once you lie down and become relaxed, you might dose off. Maybe you will go to sleep fully at this point, but often you will reawaken but without fully cognizant vision. Not long after you maybe doze off again. This is what is called the threshold stage of sleep. This type of sleep is not enough to ensure adequate recovery.

But if all goes well, you soon will enter into the first stage of real sleep. Bodily processes slow down somewhat, temperature drops slightly, and the heart rate drops too. This is not a very deep sleep. As with the threshold stage this type of sleep is not sufficient for adequate recovery.

After some time, you enter the second stage of sleep. This is much deeper and your body processes slow down even more. This process continues until your body enters into its deepest sleep stage. This is where we use the term rapid eye movement sleep (REM sleep). It takes from one to two hours for you to reach this stage. This is where you start dreaming, as your eyes move rapidly and so might your body. Oddly enough in this situation your body processes speed up, mainly the heart rate but blood pressure can also fluctuate considerably. It is this situation that can generate some of the fantastic dreams we may remember afterwards. These can include the terrifying ones many of us are familiar with, such as falling, having an accident, or being chased. It can also produce more pleasant dreams. Finding money is a common one, I’m told.

That is the sleep cycle from start to finish, but this is not when you wake up. You actually go through several of these cycles in the course of a night, each one lasting from one to two hours. After the REM stage experience, usually after only a very short time, the cycle starts over, back at light sleeping. This is why we can be easily awakened at times and not at all at others. Finally, after eight hours or so, your body processes get back to normal in preparation for waking up.

The Special Sleep Requirements of Athletes

This is what happens with a good night’s sleep. This is what is necessary for the adequate recovery of a non-athlete. But this may not be enough if you are serious athletes doing a high volume of training. You will need more sleep or else you will be going into training sessions in sleep debt. You might get away with this for one training session, but it cannot continue if you expect to make any progress. Sleep debt also creates a window for opportunistic infections to enter the body. Invariably, I get a cold or the flu after two or three days of inadequate sleep. Since even these relatively benign diseases take a week to run their course, they inevitably lead to compromised training.

With that in mind it behooves you to manage your sleeping. Training should not occur too early or too late in your waking hours. You do not want to train early in your day because you will not only be somewhat groggy during your workout, but that workout will sap your energy for the rest of the day. Alas, most athletes who are not professionals have to contend with school or a day job, so this may not be practical for everyone.

On the other hand, you do not want to train too late in the day either. You will be tired from the day’s activities and training will not be optimal. That much is obvious. However, there is another reason you don’t want to train late. This is because for sleep to come easily the body and, more importantly, the mind should already be in a somewhat relaxed state before going to bed. Heavy workouts require a higher level of arousal. You cannot do snatches, cleans, or squats in a lackadaisical manner. You have to give them your full commitment. When you do that, you are going to climb to a certain Ievel of excitement and it will be harder to come back down and easily get to sleep. Because of this, most lifters like to do their training sometime in the afternoon.

And it’s not just training you have to be careful with. Any sort of excitement can make sleep induction difficult. The last hour or so of your waking day should not be spent on anything too stimulating. Watching a movie is good, but those that are overly exciting should be avoided. The same goes with music. Soft music is fine, but heavy metal is not likely to make your sheep-counting easier. This is more a time for quiet reflection and low stimulation, even though this may not be the first choice of many of the younger lifters. There is a time and place for everything, but recovery must take first priority with any serious athlete involved in intensive training.

How to Strategize for Short Nights

Sometimes it is not possible for you to get all of your required sleep during the night. In that case, there is nothing wrong with taking a nap at some point during the day. Elite level lifters do this a lot. Some like to take a short nap before training, others prefer to take one after training, and many do both. Those who train at a professional level will have three or four short training sessions over the course of the day with a lot of horizontal time in between. Many European gyms have attached bedrooms with cots for the lifters to rest between sessions. In any case, napping is useful for not only getting the right amount of sleep, but also to inject a little restorative work in the middle of the day. This will add a little positive slope to your energy graph and make the rest of the day a bit easier.

Proper training, proper nutrition and proper recovery are the triumvirate of athletic success. The first has always been important, it took years before we realize the importance of the second, and now we must all be conscious of the importance of the recovery process – especially those hours when we are unconscious.

References:

1. Starr, B. “The Strongest Shall Survive: Strength Training For Football.” (Forest Hill, Maryland: Fitness Consultants, 1976) pp188-193.

The post The Importance of Sleep for Weightlifters and Other Athletes appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In an effort to improve the quality of my own sleep, I have done a lot of research on the subject and have even tried out a number of sleep apps. Though my app would tell me the percent of deep, REM, and light sleep I got each night, I still had some questions. I’ve uncovered the answers, and will be sharing them with you today.

• What percentage of each type of sleep should I be aiming to obtain?
• How does sleep specifically influence recovery?
• How can I improve my sleep cycle, not simply the quantity of sleep I’m getting?

The Benefits of Sleep

Precision Nutrition has a fantastic article all about sleep, and I highly recommend checking it out. Here’s a quick synopsis of the important points:

• Effects on Weight Management: The average adult gets around seven hours of sleep each night. Studies have suggested that less than six hours, or more than nine hours a night, leads to weight gain compared to those who sleep 7-8 hours a night. People who sleep less than six hours a night are significantly more likely to be overweight or obese.^1,2 It’s not clear why people who sleep more than nine hours a night have similar weight concerns.
• Effects on Skill: During sleep, the body repairs damaged tissues, produces crucial hormones, and strengthens memories. This strengthening of memories helps you perform skills better after sleeping than if you had spent that time instead just practicing while awake.
• Effects on Immunity: Have you ever noticed you tend to get more colds when you are run down? That’s because sleep also aids in immune response, allowing your body to create more white blood cells to fight harmful viruses and bacteria.

See her? She’s getting slimmer, stronger, and healthier. Are you giving yourself the time to do the same?

The Five Stages of Sleep

• Stages one and two are both stages of light sleep. Stage one should account for approximately 4% of your entire cycle and stage two 45-55%. During these two stages, muscle activity slows, as well as your breathing and heart rate. Your body temperature also decreases.
• Stages three and four are stages of deep sleep. Stage three should account for 4-6% of your sleep cycle, and stage four, 12-15%. During these stages your brain begins to generate delta waves (the slowest brain waves and the point when our brain waves are least like waking), your breathing becomes rhythmic, and your muscle activity is limited. This is also the stage where growth hormone secretion occurs.
• Stage five is REM (Rapid eye movement) sleep. It should account for 20-25% of your sleep cycle, and during this stage your brainwaves speed up and dreaming occurs. Muscles relax (extremities are usually paralyzed) and your heart rate increases. Your breathing is rapid and shallow.

A full cycle of these five stages typically takes about ninety minutes.¹ Now that you know what ratios are ideal, you can work to improve the quality of sleep you get. This will ensure you cycle through these stages without interruption. Keep reading for some tips on how to improve the quality of your sleep. But first, a bit about the relationship between sleep and injury.

Sleep and Injury

There isn’t a ton of specific research on sleep and injury, but the relation between the two is starting to come to light. Most notable are a couple of studies conducted with youth athletes. One concluded that injury rates increased during games following a night of sleeping less than six hours.³ The other found that sleep was the strongest predictor of injuries, even more than hours of practice⁴ (read this piece for a full breakdown). Inadequate sleep was correlated to decreased reaction time under fatigue, as well as a diminished immune system, as discussed above. Decreased sleep also doesn’t give the body the time it needs to repair tissues. Over time this damage can lead to injury.

British researchers have been looking into the relationship between sleep and arthritis.⁵ In Britain, it was estimated that nearly two in three people with pain secondary to arthritis experience trouble sleeping. Researchers was always thought these sleep problems were caused by the pain, but recently they have discovered that it’s actually a two-way street. Sure, joint pain causes sleep disturbances, but sleep disturbances will actually make joint pain worse and accelerate joint damage. According to medical director of Arthritis Research UK, Alan Silman, “Pain induces lack of sleep and lack of sleep induces pain.”⁵

This could also involve the disruption of the immune system. When you are overtired, the immune system is saturated by the distress the body is experiencing. This is why it’s so much easier to get sick while sleep deprived, and also why it’s hard to recover from injuries without adequate sleep.

4 Simple Ways to Improve Sleep Quality and Quantity

There are a number of different ways to improve your sleep quality, feel more rested, and be less prone to injury. Here are some of the most agreed-upon techniques, as well as strategies I have personally implemented that have made a huge difference.

1. Make a Bedtime and Wakeup Routine

This one is simple. Creating a routine around sleep is so effective because it prepares you mentally and physically. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Your brain and body develop a natural circadian rhythm, and learn that sleep is the next thing that needs to happen.

My routine includes having a small snack about an hour before bed (usually celery and almond butter), followed by reading a fiction book (I get too involved in planning if I read a business or non-fiction book) for 30-60 minutes. When I wake up, I drink a full glass of water before getting in the shower, followed by breakfast at the dining room table to sit and relax before heading to work. This is what works for me, but you need to find what works for you. I know some people who swear by taking a hot shower before bed, and others who love to color. Try a few things out and see what works best for you.

2. Turn Off Electronic Devices One Hour Before Bedtime

The light emitted from our devices – computers, iPads, smartphones – messes with our natural circadian rhythm. Our bodies use light as a cue to know when we should be awake and when we should be asleep, and the light from these devices hinders our ability to produce important hormones that facilitate sleep.

For those of you who might not be able to do this, I have heard fantastic things about an app called F.Lux. It will change the light emitted from the device gradually to help prepare you better for sleep.

The light from electronic devices tells your body that it’s time to be awake. Not ideal when you’re about to try and sleep.

3. Avoid Excessive Caffeine – Even in the Afternoon

The stimulant effects of caffeine last much longer than you might think. I recently started using a new app that tracks your caffeine intake and shows when you will be ready for sleep. The most interesting thing wasn’t when I was considered “ready” for sleep, but that I still had some caffeine in my system from the day before when I woke up in the morning. Consider this when you reach for your afternoon or evening coffee. Some research suggests that you should never drink caffeine past 2pm, but I opt for nothing after noon.²

4. Try a Sleep App

Sleep apps increase awareness of your quantity and quality of sleep. They provide a visual log of how long you’ve slept, and the ratio of each stage of sleep. By comparing these logs as you adjust things in your day, you can become more aware of the factors affecting the quality of your sleep. Tracking sleep quality made me realize that for me, cutting electronics an hour before bed made the biggest difference.

Prioritize Quality Sleep

I wanted to bring all of this information in one place so you can realize how important sleep is for everything, including injury prevention and recovery. Getting adequate sleep could even aid in pain management. Remember there are different stages of sleep, and aim to hit the right ratios for each:

• Stage One: 4%
• Stage Two: 44-55%
• Stage Three: 4-6%
• Stage Four: 12-15%
• Stage Five: 20-25%

I hope you have learned a few strategies to help improve your own sleep. Take a few minutes and think about how you could improve your sleep habits. Ask yourself these questions:

• Do I have a regular routine for bedtime and waking up in the morning?
• Do I turn off my electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime?
• Do I avoid caffeine after 2pm in the afternoon?
• Do I use any sleep apps to increase awareness of my sleep quality and quantity?

If you answered “No” to any or all of these questions, you’re missing out on better sleep. Take a step today to improve. Your body and your mind will thank you.

More on the Power of Sleep

• How Sleep Deprivation Affects Athletic Performance
• The Importance of Sleep for Weightlifters and Other Athletes
• How Sleep Deprivation Fries Your Hormones, Your Immune System, and Your Brain
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

References

1. Andrews, R. “All About Sleep.” Precision Nutrition, Accessed February 27, 2016. 

2. St. Pierre, Brian. “Hacking sleep: Engineering a high quality, restful night.” Precision Nutrition, Accessed February 27, 2016.

3. Luke et al. “Sports-related injuries in youth athletes: is overscheduling a risk factor?” Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine 21 no. 4 (2011): 307-14.

4. Milewski et al. “Chronic lack of sleep is associated with increased sports injuries in adolescent athletes.” Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 34, no 2 (2014):129-33.

5. Yapp, R. “Why lack of sleep may trigger arthritis—but treating insomnia may improve the condition.” Mail Online. 2012. Accessed February 25, 2016. 

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Sleep Better: A Proven Way to Train Hard and Feel Your Best appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Recently, I experienced this sleep deprivation cycle first hand. My wife found a stray dog in the parking lot of the grocery store, and we took him in. Let’s hope it isn’t a 15-year foster. Given the fact that we already have three dogs, my sleep has suffered. I have been waking up more often, and my sleep has been dipping under seven hours.

As a side effect, I’ve noticed I’m far hungrier. My usual breakfast doesn’t hold me over. One night, I had three bowls of chili, and was still looking for more. Usually one bowl would have kept me happy. I also started to include bench press in my workouts for the first time in years, so perhaps that has something to do with increased hunger. Stray dogs and bench press are bad for your health. You heard it here first.

The Science of Being Tired

When we don’t sleep enough, good food choices become difficult from both a psychological and physiological standpoint. Our mind is tired, and coming home from a long day at work makes cooking dinner and exercising difficult. Being trapped in an office, fueled by caffeine, and staring at pastries is tough enough. Doing it when you’re tired also causes our bodies to be hungrier. So we get hungrier and snacking becomes more desirable.

Shift workers are most often the subjects of research into the effects of sleep deprivation, because of the marked increase in obesity and metabolic complications seen in this group. There are many hypothesized reasons shift workers see these issues: lack of access to quality food at night, increased hunger during day time, and a broken circadian rhythm are a few.

Researchers attempt to recreate these conditions to isolate causes. In one study¹ with an impressive study design, young adult males were basically shacked up for 11 days and forced to be sleep deprived. One group slept four hours a night, the other group got six. Meals were given, and snack opportunities were had, but the participants were not allowed to eat whenever they liked. Core temperature was continuously monitored rectally to track circadian rhythms. I hope these guys were well compensated! The researchers tried to gain insight on hunger levels related to circadian cycles to understand more about shift workers.

The group allowed four hours per night reported higher hunger levels, less satiety (feeling full), more consumption, and less satisfaction from meals than the six hour a night people. Both groups certainly had negative changes, but in this study, it appeared dose-dependent. The less sleep, the worse it was in terms of eating.

Two of the biggest factors for weight loss are portion control and having set meal times. This becomes increasingly difficult when we need to eat more to be full and we are less satisfied with meals. This leads to more snacking, and since we are tired, the decision to snack becomes easier.

The less sleep you get, the poorer your food choices are likely to become.

An excellent review of the existing literature² highlights many of the hormonal changes that result from sleep deprivation relating to hunger and poor health outcomes. I love this line in particular:

“Chronic circadian misalignments not only influence sleep but also influence several other systems including the immune system, appetitive hormones, and energy balance.”

We are tired, sick, and cranky people! Go to bed. 

The review highlighted several interesting developments in hormone research. Our gut is connected to our brains more than we know. The hypothalamus secretes orexin, which is involved in the sleep and wake cycle as well as energy balance. It helps activate parts of the nervous system that give the brain feedback on energy balance by monitoring things such as blood sugar and leptin levels. A lack of orexin leads to obesity in animal models, due to decreased activity. Even though appetite goes down in these studies, the lack of activity leads to weight gain. This orexin system is one way the brain keeps tabs on energy balance, and it does so by also including the hormones ghrelin and leptin. As we become sleep deprived, ghrelin increases and leptin decreases. This isn’t desirable, because ghrelin increases hunger, and leptin helps decrease it.

Essentially, when we lack sleep, our communication from brain to gut is disturbed, and this cascades into other hormones misfiring. Long term sleep deprivation makes these problems even worse. I give this information not to make you think about your ghrelin levels at night or talk about your orexin feedback loop at the water cooler. Rather, understand that there are physiological changes in your body when you don’t get enough sleep.

Tips to Hit the Pillow Harder

What can we do about this? We live in a time where it’s almost a badge of honor to work more and sleep less. Extra-large coffee and energy shots. When I moved from New York to Utah, I was determined to get there as quickly as possible because I hated driving that big truck. I popped caffeine pills, drank Mountain Dew, and slapped myself to keep awake. I have no idea how I made it in a day and a half. In fact, I can’t drive more than four hours anymore without becoming sleepy. I used up my “stupid decisions” quota.

But you’ll be more productive and much happier if you get seven hours of sleep or more. Being tired and having no energy becomes the new normal for us, until we break out of it. With a happier attitude, more productivity, and normalized hunger levels, making changes to your diet will be much more attainable. There are several important changes you can try.

Eat What You Know

One study³ noted that “…novel foods are found to have lower expected satiation than familiar foods and expected satiety ratings have been shown to increase the more familiar a food becomes.”

The more familiar you are with a food, especially when you know that it will keep you satisfied, the better the outcome. Going with a new food may lead you to eat more because it didn’t give you the sensation of being full. There is a whole area of study where scientists look at expected satiety and how we react to foods we know and do not know. If you expect that the meal will keep you full, it has a better chance to do just that.

I’m not advocating eating the same thing day in and day out. That gets boring. But certainly a breakfast can be a rotation of three options that you know and like. Picking one or two meals and making them a little boring for a while can help with eating less and not being hungry all the time.

Have a Tracking System

Without a system, how do you know what your body is doing? I have people I work with track sleep, over 7 or under, and rate how each meal keeps them full or not. You can begin to see correlations. If you sleep more on the weekends, for example, see how that changes your reaction to the same meal.

Data is helpful in lowering the intimidation factor for change. If you get 5 hours of sleep a night, getting 8 seems daunting. However, if you track hunger and sleep, and get 5.5 hours of sleep by making a few sacrifices (Game of Thrones on DVR, or move to the west coast to catch NFL night games earlier), you can see the improvements on paper. Perhaps those changes are good enough for now. Change enough to get results, and you can always do more at a later time.

Diet and workouts suffering? Start tracking your sleep, and you’ll probably find a correlation.

Try Supplements 

Magnesium is my first line of defense, especially the brand Natural Calm. It mellows you out enough to help you go to sleep. It isn’t too powerful, and it can help a small amount. Melatonin would be next. Try a small amount to see if it can induce sleep. Perhaps once you get in the routine of sleeping better, you may not need a supplement anymore. I chose these two because they are well-studied and have minimal negative effects. Perhaps a visit with a doctor can help you explore other options.

Change Your Routine

Some things in life are unavoidable. If you have a newborn, sleep can be hit or miss, and there isn’t too much you can do about it. But some things can be controlled. Cutting television short, getting home from work on time (which you can when you have more sleep, because you’ll be more productive), and preparing chores in advance on off days can help with more free time to get to sleep. Look for time “leaks” in your day, and I am quite confident we can add a half hour or more to devote to sleep.

You Can’t Be Fit With Bad Sleep

We can’t “hack” sleeping less and doing more. At some point, it bites us. Starting a nutrition program or exercise routine is a great idea. But it all starts with sleep. It is the catalyst that makes every other change possible. Portion control, meal times, food quality, exercise intensity, and hunger are all altered by how much sleep we get. Losing weight requires a caloric deficit. Not sleeping makes us hungrier. That’s a nasty combination.

It sounds almost too simple to be true. Get more sleep, get better results. Sleep isn’t something we can buy, inject, trade, or binge on periodically. It has to be consistent and in the right amounts. Our lives really do depend on it.

Do you close your eyes and nothing happens?

It’s Time to Skip the Bedtime Wine: 5 Tips for Better Sleep

References:

1. Sargent, Charli, Xuan Zhou, Raymond W. Matthews, David Darwent, and Gregory D. Roach. “Daily Rhythms of Hunger and Satiety in Healthy Men during One Week of Sleep Restriction and Circadian Misalignment.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13, no. 2 (2016): 170.

2. Shukla, Charu, and Radhika Basheer. “Metabolic signals in sleep regulation: recent insights.” Nature and science of sleep 8 (2016): 9.

3. Forde, Ciarán G., Eva Almiron-Roig, and Jeffrey M. Brunstrom. “Expected satiety: application to weight management and understanding energy selection in humans.” Current obesity reports 4, no. 1 (2015): 131-140.

The post Sleep as a Catalyst for Fat Loss appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This scenario is one many of us face. A lack of sleep will burden many of us from time to time, regardless of how hard we try to chase a solid eight hours. Work obligations, children, or just a running list of responsibilities are all things that can keep us from getting a good amount of slumber.

What shall we do to remedy this tiresome issue? Let’s figure it out.

Causes for Sleep Deprivation

According to a research article by Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, poor sleep and lack of sleep can be linked to many chronic conditions such as neurological issues, cardiac health, and endocrine health, as well as to rheumatoid or oncologic conditions.

The article specifically noted that improving your sleep, along with making other healthy lifestyle choices, can lead to improvement in any chronic conditions. Who wouldn’t want that? Of course, if you have other health related issues disrupting your rest, consulting your physician would be wise.

“Employing these ideas, all or one, could be worth a try to get you on track and soothe self-imposed or situational sleep deprivation.“

For my physician-cleared fellow gym rats, there is good news – while sleep deprivation can adversely affect the processing of new information, any automatic movements or habitual processes remarkably remain intact.² That means your seven-minute AMRAP burpees might feel suckier because your sleep was terrible, but most likely you’ll maintain your average score.

Keep in mind that heading into what could be a terrible night of rest can be avoided, or at least smoothed a bit, by some simple things anyone can easily do to ensure their best shot at getting a solid five…. or six…. blissful hours.

Keep Dark

According to The Sleep Journal, bedside light may result in less restful sleep. Their study noted that sleeping with unnecessary light exposure can cause shallow sleep and more frequent arousals from sleep to a waking state. The article went on to explain that the effect of this light on the brain is a lessened depth of sleep and stability of sleep.

Sleep Tip: I don’t know about you, but I definitely need to get the deepest sleep I can – and fast. Your best bet is to keep it dark. Turn your nightlights off, block windows, shut the blinds, and for Pete’s sake, keep that mobile phone from flashing with notifications. (Maybe even leave it in the living room? Crazy, I know.)

Keep Cool

Flinders University School of Psychology in Australia researched the interaction between body temperature and insomnia. They concluded that symptoms of insomnia can be linked to an increase in body core temperature. I know at my house, when the seven-year-old bursts in the room reporting a nightmare, I am suddenly awake and my body temperature shoots up. The National Sleep Foundation’s website takes this a bit further and suggests that those who have trouble resting try different temperatures for the bedroom, somewhere around 65 degrees.

I certainly know this to be true – my cup of coffee is priority number one when I stumble into the kitchen each morning.

Sleep Tip: Everyone is different, but we can all agree that no one sleeps well when the bedroom is 95 degrees. Keeping the room cooler, or at least being aware of the room temperature, will probably help when it comes to getting the rest we need.

Lay Off the Booze

According to a US News article on sleep deprivation and recovery, too much alcohol before bed can produce lighter sleep and more frequent nighttime awakenings. As a result, the brain doesn’t get the deeper sleep it needs (probably desperately needs). The drinks might be fun on Friday night, but missing out on that deep sleep can leave you foggy and unrested.

Sleep Tip: In my experience, a glass of wine before bed definitely makes me sleepy, but I don’t sleep nearly as well as if I avoid it. So, instead, I have a cup of non-caffeinated tea or a small glass of water.

Caffeine to Clear the Sleepy Head

Caffeine is a powerful and effective stimulant for the majority of us. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s report on sleep deprivation cites caffeine as the most commonly ingested stimulant.

I certainly know this to be true – my cup of coffee is priority number one when I stumble into the kitchen each morning. But what can it do for true lack of sleep due to insomnia or outside factors? The website explains that caffeine can provide improved alertness and overall performance in doses of 75 to 150 mg after “acute sleep restriction.” For most of us, “acute sleep restriction” is putting it mildly.

Sleep Tip: The academy does warn that too frequent use of caffeine can lead to tolerance and withdrawal effects if not used in moderation. Guilty as charged.

The Power Nap

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s statement on sleep deprivation goes on to note that extra rest prior to a known period of sleep deprivation can help some of the negative side effects of a lack of sleep. Alertness can be increased with what they call a “prophylactic nap.”

“Poor sleep and lack of sleep can be linked to many chronic conditions such as neurological issues, cardiac health, and endocrine health[.]”

Sleep Tip: The statement notes the overall best combination to battle sleep deprivation, especially a chronic case, is the above listed dose of caffeine following a nap. They suggest the beneficial effects may be additive and may encourage improved alertness over a longer period of time than one or the other alone.

Anything Is Better Than Nothing

Employing these ideas, all or one, could be worth a try to get you on track and soothe self-imposed or situational sleep deprivation. You’ll have so much more energy at the gym to suffer through your burpees and insure that you won’t face-plant on your desktop at work. You’re already tired, so what could a nap and a small cup of coffee hurt?

Check out these related articles:

• 5 Tips for Better Sleep and a Healthier Mind and Body
• 9 All-Natural Tips for Better Sleep
• How Sleep Deprivation Affects Athletic Performance
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

References:

1. Cho RC, Joo EY, Koo DL, Hong SB, Let there be no light: the effect of bedside light on sleep quality and background electroencephalographic rhythms, Sleep Health (2013), https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945713011350. Accessed on 2/16/15.

2. Grandner MA, Malhotra A, Sleep as a vital sign: why medical practitioners need to routinely ask their patients about sleep, Sleep Health (2015), https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.011. Accessed on 2/17/15.

3. Kotz D, Sleep deprived? Here’s how to recover (2010), https://health.usnews.com/health-news/managing-your-healthcare/sleep/articles/2010/08/04/sleep-deprived-heres-how-to-recover. Accessed on 2/17/15.

4. Krystal AD, Schopler B, Kobbe S, Williams C, Rakatondrainibe H, et al. (2013) The relationship of sleep with temperature and metabolic rate in a hibernating primate. PLoS ONE 8(9): e69914, https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0069914. Accessed on 2/17/15.

5. Maddox WT, Glass BD, Wolosin SM, Savarie ZR, Bowen C, Matthews MD, Schnyer DM. The effects of sleep deprivation on information-integration categorization performance, SLEEP (2009); 32(11): 1439-1448, https://academic.oup.com/sleep/. Accessed on 2/16/15.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post It’s Time to Skip the Bedtime Wine: 5 Tips for Better Sleep appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

High blood pressure is a predetermining risk factor for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. Modern treatment plans include medications that can come with some pretty gnarly side effects. The problem is these medications have not shown an increase in life expectancy in the population prescribed them.¹  The good news is that in most cases you do not need to rely on medication to solve your blood pressure issues.

Avoiding Salt Isn’t the Answer

Researchers have looked at present-day hunter-gatherer groups and compared their rates of heart disease with those found in the modern world. One study looked at the Cameroonian pygmies in particular. Researchers compared those living the traditional pygmy way with those who migrated to more modern areas. The researchers concluded the hunter-gatherer way of life led to a decreased risk for cardiovascular events.² This research suggests high blood pressure is a result of some poor lifestyle choices.

RELATED: The Shakedown On Salt – Is It Good or Bad For You?

We are typically told to avoid salt to avoid high blood pressure. However, restricting salt can come with its own negative side effects. One of the effects is actually increased cardiovascular disease risk.³ So what are we supposed to do if we have been told that salt leads to high blood pressure, which increases our risk of heart disease, but now I am telling you that going too low with the salt can also lead to increased disease risk?

“Changing some of our behaviors can drastically alter our blood pressure.”

The answer is, preventing cardiovascular disease is not as simple as limiting intake of a particular substance. It is a dynamic process with many moving pieces. But we can use the modern-day hunter-gatherer groups as a guide to how we can better protect ourselves from developing high blood pressure and raising our risk for heart disease.

The Dietary Factors Behind Hypertension

There are a number of dietary factors that affect blood pressure, not just salt intake. Potassium, calcium, and vitamin K2 all play important roles in regulating our blood pressure.⁵

In addition, eating a diet high in processed carbohydrates can lead to high blood pressure. In fact, insulin resistance and high triglycerides are more common in those with high blood pressure than the normal population. Lowering blood pressure does not affect these other areas and may explain why correcting blood pressure with medication does not decrease heart disease risk.⁴

Relaxation = Prevention

Nutrition is not the only lifestyle factor that can help us lower our blood pressure. Stress also plays an important role. I know the majority of us do not think we are stressed out, but if you are not doing something proactive to manage stress, then you most definitely are stressed out.

RELATED: A Way to Meditate (For People Really Bad at Meditation)

The modern lifestyle of limited sleep, financial issues, family problems, sitting in traffic, and being constantly on the go drives our sympathetic nervous system to be active the majority of the time. What we need is balance and to get our parasympathetic nervous system involved. Meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure in a four-month period.⁶

Focus On Sleep Quality

Most people have poor quality of sleep, as well, without realizing it. I specifically ask people how well they sleep, and I continuously get “good” for an answer. However, these same people state later on that they sleep for four to six hours total and need to wake up throughout the night to go to the bathroom. This is not quality sleep, and inefficient sleep has been shown to raise blood pressure.⁷

Shut off the lights an hour before bedtime. This includes the TV. Then, get to bed at a time that allows you to get roughly seven to nine hours of sleep.

Get Active

We definitely cannot underestimate exercise’s role in helping us control our blood pressure. Engaging in physical activity is an important part of creating a healthy lifestyle. We all know the health implications associated with being sedentary. According to meta-analysis, exercise can lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.⁸

Going Beyond Medication

High blood pressure is a major health concern and can increase our risk for cardiovascular disease. But taking medication may not be the best solution.

“The problem is these medications have not shown an increase in life expectancy in the population prescribed them.”

High blood pressure is a symptom of living the modern lifestyle. Changing some of our behaviors can drastically alter our blood pressure. This includes sleeping seven to nine hours a night, limiting our intake of processed foods, exercising, and managing our stress.

If you are currently diagnosed with high blood pressure, or are concerned with your blood pressure numbers, take control of your health instead of taking medications.

References:

1. Diao, D, et.al., “Pharmacotherapy for mild hypertension.” The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2012. Retrieved on January 16, 2015. 

2. Lemogoum, D, et.al., “Effects of hunter-gatherer subsistence mode on arterial distensibility in Cameroonian pygmies.” Hypertension 2012. Retrieved on January 16, 2015. 

3. O’Donnell, Martin, et.al., “Urinary Sodium and Potassium Excretion and Risk of Cardiovascular Events.” JAMA 2011. Retrieved on January 16, 2015. 

4. Reaven, Gerald. “Relationship Between Insulin Resistance and Hypertension.” Diabetes Care 2015. Retrieved on January 16, 2015. 

5. Stamler, Jeremiah, et.al., “Relationship to Blood Pressure of Combinations of Dietary Macronutrients.” Circulation 1996. Retrieved on January 16, 2015. 

6. Barnes, Vernon, et.al., “Impact of Transcendental Meditation on Ambulatory Blood Pressure in African-American Adolescents.” American Journal of Hypertension 2012. Retrieved on January 16, 2015.

7. Tochikubo, Osama, et.al., “Effects of Insufficient Sleep on Blood Pressure Monitored by a New Multibiomedical Recorder.” Hypertension 1996. Retrieved on January 16, 2015. 

8. Kelley, George. Progressive Resistance Exercise and Resting Blood Pressure

A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Hypertension 2012. Retrieved on January 16, 2015.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Is Lifestyle the Main Cause of High Blood Pressure? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

My Experience With Back Pain

The pain was so significant that it hurt to walk at times. It definitely hurt to jump. And it hurt to sit and even just be awake. I took months at a time off from BJJ and saw a variety of doctors. I visited an osteopath, chiropractor, massage therapist, sports injury doctor, acupuncturist, and my family doctor. Anyone who could possibly help me, I visited.

I traveled with a heating pad because it eased the pain. I rubbed a transdermal anti-inflammatory cream on my back every morning. I rolled on lacrosse balls and foam rollers. I took muscle relaxers before I went to bed. Nothing solved the problem.

“The pain and exhaustion that resulted from an awful sleeping situation had a big effect on my whole life, especially my training. And not one doctor suggested it might be the bed I was sleeping on.”

My pain began two years ago and it took me about six months to realize the issue was the bed I was sleeping on when I traveled every week. Although I would only sleep on the bed one night at a time, the pain would persist for a week or more afterwards. Only when I had two weeks away from that bed did I identify the culprit.

So here are my tips for shopping for the best mattress for your body and sleeping style, and also tips for how to get the best night’s sleep while traveling. Because of all the elements that factor into your training, your mattress shouldn’t be the thing ruining your performance.

RELATED: 5 Tips for Better Sleep and a Healthier Mind and Body

Your Mattress Matters

I had no control over the furnishings when I traveled so I ended up sleeping on an air mattress during those trips. The problem with an air mattress, even with a high-quality one, is trying to fill it to optimum firmness. A bed without enough support can cause the spine to misalign. As a result, the muscles in your back work hard throughout the night to get it back into alignment. This compensation can cause lasting dysfunction.

When your mattress isn’t suited to your body, it’s not only the pain that can affect your training. All of that tossing and turning you do during the night trying to get comfortable affects the quality of your sleep. Every morning, I would wake up exhausted and in pain, and because of that, I was more prone to other injuries.

READ: How Sleep Deprivation Affects Athletic Performance

During those two years, I learned to avoid being explosive during rolls because my back would suffer for it. I began avoiding guys who used a lot of strength and weight because it was so hard on my body. And wouldn’t you know it, once I stopped traveling, my own bed bit the dust as well. I ended up sleeping on the twin in my spare room as I shopped for a new one.

“It turns out I do need a medium-firm mattress, but because I sleep on my side, I need a plush topper that will allow my body to rest comfortably without pressure.”

It’s only been a month since I replaced my bed, but my back pain has significantly decreased. I didn’t do my research, though, and I ended up buying a bed that is wrong for my sleeping style. I had explained to the sales associate that I had back issues and we agreed a firm foam mattress should do the trick.

Unfortunately, we didn’t discuss how I slept. I’m a side sleeper and even though I’m very light and should be able to sleep on any type of bed, this firm bed puts excessive pressure on my shoulder. I’m waking up in the morning with a pins-and-needles sensation in my arm, discomfort in my spine at the bra line, and that familiar feeling of exhaustion.

The video below provides a visual explanation of how the wrong bed can affect the shoulder and hips.

I went back to the mattress store and explained my new problem to the sales associate. He took the time to assess how I was sleeping and what bed (and pillow, don’t forget the pillow!) would be suitable for all of the issues I’ve been having.

It turns out I do need a medium-firm mattress, but because I sleep on my side, I need a plush topper that will allow my body to rest comfortably without pressure. My new mattress is due to arrive on Saturday and I’m looking forward to an end to this miserable situation.

You can visit Consumer Mattress Reports to find out what bed is right for you based on your sleeping style. Remember to ask about a comfort guarantee before purchasing your bed in case you find yourself in the same situation.

Do You Need a New Mattress?

I always figure that if I have a problem, other people may have the same problem so I like to share when I find a solution. The pain and exhaustion that resulted from an awful sleeping situation had a big effect on my whole life, especially my training. And not one doctor suggested it might be the bed I was sleeping on. Because it is such an intense sport, we all blamed my innocent friend BJJ.

So what are the signs it’s time to replace your mattress set?

• You wake up with pain that gets better during the day.
• You wake up with pins and needles in certain parts of your body.
• You wake up tired after getting a reasonable amount of sleep.
• Your partner experiences the above symptoms. (If he or she is sleeping restlessly, your sleep will suffer, as well).
• Your bed sags, dips, or shows other physical signs of wear.
• Your bed is seven to ten years old.

Travel Tips

Fortunately, I no longer have to travel every week, but I have a few suggestions for those with sensitive backs for when you have to hit the road. Because even if you are willing to deal with back pain, driving without enough sleep can be as dangerous as driving drunk.

• Hotels don’t always rotate their beds regularly, so when you book, explain that you have back issues and ask for the wheelchair-accessible room (if it’s not reserved for someone with a disability). Those rooms aren’t used as much.
• When you find a room with a good bed, book that exact room every time.
• Bring a decent air mattress with you, just in case. Get one with a topper because an air mattress is cold against the skin in cooler temperatures.
• Bring a heating pad and a Rad Roller to soothe your sore back and roll out tight muscles.
• Bring earplugs and an eye-mask or a couple of clothespins to eliminate that gap in the curtains when you close them at night. Another tip is to cover the glare of the alarm clock.
• I also take melatonin if I still can’t sleep.

TRAVEL STRONG: Healthy Travel Tips: Hotel and Lodging

While I researched beds and sleeping styles and pillows and everything I could about sleeping, I found a YouTube channel called Mattress To Go that offered great advice for everything to do with beds. If you’re on the market for something new, make sure you check it out. Good luck and sweet dreams!

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Sleep to Win: How Your Mattress Could Be Affecting Your Training appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

What is Qigong?

Qi gong, like tai chi, is an ancient practice of moving energy, known as qi, through the body. It typically combines simple, gentle movements of the body done in rhythm with the breath along with mental visualizations.

While Western medicine has yet to concretely “prove” the existence of energy channels in the body, scientists have repeatedly confirmed the body emits energy along certain points and pathways at a greater frequency than others. Further, studies continue to reveal the power of the mind over the body and the effectiveness of visualization.¹

Qi gong capitalizes on both the body’s energy and the power of the mind to balance the body, either increasing energy when it is low or decreasing energy when it is high. This exercise and meditation is to decrease energy at bedtime.

Qi Gong Exercise Instructions

The intention of this exercise and visualization is to bring energy and awareness out of the mind. This exercise in particular grounds energy in the feet, creating a feeling of heaviness and fatigue in the body.

1. Sit on the edge of your bed, crossing the left ankle onto the right leg.
2. Rapidly rub your hand from the heel of your left foot to the toes of the foot. Do this 100 times.
3. While you rub the bottom of your foot, imagine your hand is a magnet drawing electrical force down your body.
4. After you are finished, shake your hand to release the energy away.
5. Repeat with your right foot.
6. Climb into bed.

Insomnia Meditation Instructions

1. Lay comfortably on your back, prepared to fall asleep. Start to tune in to the rhythm of your breath.
2. For a few moments, allow your mind to run freely as it chooses. Simply allow the thoughts to come up without focusing on any one in particular. If something arises you need to remember (“I have to pay that bill!”), take a moment to write it down on a scratch pad beside the bed. This allows you to take it off your mind.
3. After a few moments, abruptly tell your mind it is time to stop thinking.
4. Focus on the breath once more. As you inhale, imagine pulling cooling energy through your nose and into the body.
5. As you exhale, watch the energy sink down the body to the feet and out the feet into the earth. Of course, your feet will not be connected with the earth, so watch the energy move through the bed, through the floor, and into the earth below.
6. Continue like this for 36 breaths, if you can make it that long prior to falling asleep.
7. Do the exercise only once, even if you do not immediately fall asleep. It may take practice for this exercise to put you to sleep. Simply try again tomorrow night if it did not work the first time.

I have been using this nighttime meditation and exercise for a few weeks, and I have yet to make it through all 36 breaths. That is saying something, because I chose to start this meditation due to a bout of insomnia. I’m grateful for finding a version of this exercise and meditation in the book Heal Yourself with Qigong, which I fully recommend to anyone interested in using energy work to help balance the body.

In case you missed it:

Just Sit: 8-Week Meditation Challenge #1

Loving Kindness: 8-Week Meditation Challenge #2

Inner Silence: 8-Week Meditation Challenge #4

Vipassana: 8-Week Meditation Challenge #5

References:
1. Suzanne Friedman, Heal Yourself with Qigong: Gentle Practices to Increase Energy, Restore Health, and Relax the Mind, (New Harbinger Publications, 2009).

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Overcoming Insomnia: 8-Week Meditation Challenge #3 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

We all know that exercise is good for you, but some of the whys of the issue remain unknown. For example, exercise is one of the primary means by which the amino acid tryptophan enters the brain. Without exercise, this process won’t occur at optimal levels. I’m sure you’ve heard that it’s the tryptophan in turkey that makes you sleepy after a Thanksgiving meal. After being metabolized in the brain, some of the tryptophan you consume becomes melatonin, which was a hormone of major concern in this study.

Melatonin is the primary hormone that controls your circadian rhythm, which accounts for the cycle of sleeping and waking. Specifically, your melatonin is highest when it gets dark and lowest during the day. Having high melatonin at night is good, not only because it correlates directly to sleep quality, but also because it is a potent antioxidant that helps keep you healthy in numerous ways. With adequate tryptophan levels, you will also have good melatonin levels once night falls, and your sleep cycles should be normal and healthy.

In this study, the researchers examined a portion of the population known for poor sleep quality: post-menopausal women. Since melatonin declines with age, it’s no wonder the participants of the study tended to have sleeping problems. However, this study ought to apply to any population, especially people with sleeping problems.

The women were split into two groups. One group did an aerobics class for 45 minutes, three times per week, for ten weeks. The other group went about their normal business for the same period of time. Sleep quality was assessed via a questionnaire, and melatonin levels were measured before and after training.

The study was based on the effective of exercise on melatonin and sleep over time, rather than just a single session. For this reason, the researchers chose group exercise for the workout group, since working out in a group has been shown to improve adherence to a protocol and increase frequency of participation. The social aspect of group training is important, and may also allow participants to maintain higher degrees of intensity for longer.

Sure enough, exercise worked. On the questionnaire, the women in the exercise group reported significantly improved sleep compared the control group, whose sleep actually slightly worsened. Better yet, the melatonin levels of the training group increased nearly four-fold after the ten weeks, whereas the control group dropped by about half. Even in a population known for having sleeping problems, moderate exercise three times per week correlated with a major improvement in sleep quality – and, I daresay, improved overall health.

References:

1. Zong-Yan Cai, et. al., “Effects of A Group-Based Step Aerobics Training on Sleep Quality and Melatonin Levels in Sleep-Impaired Postmenopausal Women,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000428

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Sleep Quality and Exercise: Are You in the Dark? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Question #2: Why Don’t You take More Supplements, Bro?

Back when I started lifting weights the only source of information freely available was bodybuilding magazines. Like many young kids I was duped by ads promising me that if I took A, B, and C and trained like the huge guys pictured, then I, too, would grow like a weed and become massive. And then reality dawned on me and I found out that all my heroes used vast quantities of drugs to attain that look. There’s no judgement from me on that, but the reality is that the only things that gives steroid-like effects are steroids. While I do take fish oil and BCAAs, I choose to get the rest of my nutrition from real food. Because the other part of the equation at forty is that getting bigger is not so good for you. More stress on the joints and the heart isn’t what is going to make you feel good at this age.

If you need more information, have a look at this video and decide for yourself exactly how much “proprietary blend” you want to swallow from a random company, all in the name of improving your health:

Question #3: Why Do You Train So Much?

I think the real question here is, “Why don’t you?” The human body is an amazing machine, but like most machines it needs to be greased up to perform well. Unlike a machine, though, that grease comes from within us, and is only created by moving. The less you move, the older your body will feel and the stiffer your joints will become.

As an aging guy I see many of my friends give in to being out of shape. One of the things that will definitely keep you feeling young is a passionate relationship with your partner, and believe me when I say that no matter what anyone says physical appeal is a very big part of that, even as you get older. So, if for no other reason, train so that you’re still appealing to your partner.

Question #4: How Do You Eat Such an Extreme Diet?

It’s funny how eating good quality meat along with fresh vegetables and fruit is somehow extreme. I’d suggest that constantly loading up your body with man-made food filled with a list of ingredients that you can’t even pronounce is much more extreme. Have you ever seen the ingredient list on an apple or an egg?

I suggest you try reading this.

Everyone thinks I have no fun when it comes to my own eating, but I’ve just learned this little-known thing called self-restraint. One of the worst things the bodybuilding scene ever taught people was that it was acceptable to have a cheat day. When I do diet work with people, I typically discover they are getting through the equivalent of two weeks’ worth of cheat meals in the first two days of the week. So the idea that they then get to the end of the week and have a deliberate blow-out doesn’t sit well with me. You don’t get a treat because you made it through lunchtime unscathed. You don’t need a drink at the end of every day, and you certainly don’t need a bottle of wine with dinner. Learn that a treat is a once in a while kind of deal, like a birthday. Eat well the rest of the time and you’ll find how unappealing all that stuff is very quickly once your body learns to enjoy real foods with natural flavors.

Question #5: How Do You Train First Thing in the Morning?

You know what the secret is to getting up earlier? Go to bed earlier. And don’t just do it once or twice per week. Actually go to bed early every night. Chances are you’re just staying up late stuffing your face with bad food and slowly killing your brain watching the idiot box anyway.

The human body needs more sleep than what most give it anyway, so even if you’re not getting up to train, your body will still thank you for the earlier bedtime. And believe it or not, you’ll actually lose weight just by going to sleep sooner. There are over two dozen studies that show fewer than eight hours sleep per night leads to weight gain.

But the best bit about training early is that it’s done for the day. It’s rare that someone will schedule a meeting with you at 6:00am. But if you plan to train after work there’s every chance your boss will drop some unexpected assignment on you, or will call you into a meeting – because being over forty means you’ve likely got way more job responsibilities than even a thirty-year-old. But if you get your training done before work, then you’ve done it for the day and now all you need to focus on is eating well throughout the day.

And when all this doesn’t work, and you get hit with that one, final annoying question, it should go like this:

Question: I use a Shake Weight, what do you think of that? (Or insert the name of any other inane exercise form.)

Answer: I don’t know anything about that thing, but I’m happy to show you what I do. Here’s the address I train at, I’ll see you there at 6:00am Monday.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post The 5 Most Annoying Fitness Questions I Get Asked at Parties appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

For those serious about pursuing a career as an athlete, even on an avocational basis, you must realize that developing a regular daily regimen will contribute greatly to your progress. It will allow your training to become the variable in your life, and hence your physiological existence.

The purpose of this article is to explore this topic as it would apply to a lifestyle athlete. Although we cannot all organize our lives to fit an optimal model, cognizance of the optimal model should help in making future lifestyle decisions. I realize that many are on irregular or capricious work schedules, and that life intrudes frequently on the athletic lifestyle, but it is definitely to the benefit of all athletes to attempt to develop some sort of daily schedule to minimize disruptions.

Timing of Training

Strength and power activities generally are conducted most effectively later in the day, preferably in the late afternoon or early evening hours. This, however, is not an excuse to sleep late and remain excessively indolent for much of the preceding time. To make use of this timing, the body must be fed enough calories prior to a late afternoon training. This means the athlete must rise early enough to have breakfast, a snack, and lunch in order to devour, digest, and assimilate the volume of food necessary to provide an adequate internal environment. This is the type of situation where a daily regimen will contribute to optimal training conditions.

Scheduling Sleep

Having a regular sleeping schedule sets the tone for the establishment of a regimen. A regular sleeping schedule should include getting two hours of sleep before midnight. This allows the athlete to rise early enough to begin activating the body and to eat enough times prior to the important training session of the day. It also forces the athlete to establish a regimen for eating, restoration, and recovery after training and before retiring.

The Benefits of Regimen

A daily regimen reduces emotional stress and anxiety, two factors that upset brain and body chemistry. Unpredictability, and the resulting lack of control, is a major cause of anxiety and a disrupter of the high performance capabilities of the body. As I mentioned earlier, the objective is to have everything in your life be routine, so that training is the only variable.

A regimen also has the benefit of making some aspects of the day habitual so they are less likely to be forgotten. For instance the timing of food supplements can be a significant part of the preparation equation. The athlete with a regular schedule is less like to mistime the administration of supplements. The entire goal of establishing a regimented lifestyle is to make as many of the mundane tasks of life as effortless as possible, in order that you can put your energy into the very important activity of training.

I leave you with an appropriate quote from the French novelist Gustave Flaubert, “Be steady and well ordered in your life, so you can be fierce and original in your work.”

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Creating and Maintaining a Daily Regimen for Increased Performance appeared first on Breaking Muscle.