
Regular sleep can boost the weight loss benefits of running. RELATED: The Role Of Hormones In Running Lose It “If you do a harder interval workout as opposed to an easy run, you might have more HGH hormone secreted if you actually need it,” added Benny Garcia, MS, CSCS, exercise physiologist at Loyola University Chicago/Gottlieb Center of Fitness in Chicago. If your workouts are hard, your body may release greater quantities of HGH while you sleep. Harris, PsyD, CBSN, director, behavioral sleep medicine program, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y. An increase in cortisol contributes to slower recovery times,” said Shelby F. Too little sleep also leads to an increase in cortisol, which often comes out during times of stress. “If you don’t get enough sleep, you produce less HGH and it becomes harder for your body to recover from workouts. It also helps convert fat to fuel, and keeps our bones strong. HGH rebuilds damaged tissue while building stronger muscles. HGH is a natural hormone produced by the pituitary gland and released into the bloodstream. What The HGH?ĭuring the deeper stages of sleep, human growth hormone, (HGH) is released during slow wave sleep.

Important when you are training your body to climb hills or meet a certain time during track work. “Sleep allows the body to engage in repair and also to allow for certain brain wave patterns that may serve to assist in the formation of memories, learning and task completion,” said Jim Winger, MD, assistant professor of family medicine, Primary Care Sports Medicine, Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Ill. Sleep should be a high priority in an athlete’s daily training.” “However, the study suggests that sleep is important for performance and that reducing an accumulated sleep debt can be beneficial for athletes likely at all levels. Mah, the study’s research scientist at the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory. “This study was specifically on collegiate basketball players, not runners,” said Cheri D. Speed improved significantly (16.2 seconds verses 15.5 second for 282-foot sprints) shooting accuracy improved and the players said they felt their practices improved after six weeks of lengthening nighttime sleep length. After that, they were asked to sleep 10 hours each night for five to seven weeks. In the study, researchers had basketball players maintain their regular sleep schedule of six to nine hours for up to four weeks. Research from Stanford published in SLEEPreported that increased sleeping time can improve athletic performance. Distance runners especially need that sleep/repair time to make sure that muscles recover from training. “Another clue would be severe muscle pain.” Under Constructionīesides making you feel better, sleep is when your body repairs and regenerates damaged tissue from the day’s workout and builds bone and muscle to be ready for the next workout. “If you don’t go to the bathroom within an hour of getting up, you are likely not well-hydrated,” Getsy said. Getsy, MD, professor of medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep Division, Philadelphia, Pa.Īfter a good night of sleep, a well-hydrated runner should urinate. “Dehydration leads to muscle pain while running and poor performance,” said Joanne E. Without enough water the kidneys can’t balance electrolytes properly. During sleep, the kidney balances water, sodium and other electrolytes. One of the most important ways sleep can help your running is water reabsorption - especially during the summer months when you sweat more and dehydration is more of a concern. RELATED: Sleep In - It Will Make You Faster Water, Water Everywhere

The better sleep you get, the better you perform athletically. Maas, PhD, a psychologist from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and author of Sleep to Win. “You might be able to get by with one or two lousy nights of sleep, but your best performance is when you’ve had a good night’s sleep,” said James B. A sleep debt can negatively affect your running. Cheating on sleep makes it hard to concentrate at work, may impair you appetite and causes irritability. You probably know someone who brags how he only needs five hours of sleep a night and another who insists on eight hours - and it’s true, sleep needs vary.Īs an athlete, getting enough sleep is as important as your food and exercise choices. Here are five ways a good night’s sleep can help improve your running.Įverybody knows how important sleep is even though our culture of hyper-busy people discourages it.
