Sleep to Rebuild Muscle
An intense workout session at the gym can leave you drained enough to fall asleep by bedtime. Getting protein and other nutrients through diet is important to help with muscle repair and growth.
The final step in getting stronger after the gym is getting the adequate rest to repair the muscles you damaged during your high intensity training. During deep sleep, your body increases blood flow to your muscles, leading to proper tissue growth and repair. Human growth hormone (HGH), which is often injected artificially by bodybuilders, is naturally released during rest to build muscle.
During REM sleep, your muscles relax to relieve tension and reduce chances of chronic pain. Most critical restorative functions in the body generally occur during sleep. Sleep also helps with muscle coordination. Studies have shown that basketball players who added two hours of sleep to their routine found an increase in reaction time and speed on the court.
There is a symbiotic relationship between exercise and sleep. The more intense your workout, the more your body needs downtime to make up for the muscle damage, so the more easily and deeply you will be able to fall asleep. If you don’t like weightlifting, jogging, yoga, or any competitive sport will produce the same effect.
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