All athletes know about the need to comply with the regime, but situations are possible when it is violated. Find out what to do for bodybuilding insomnia.
The content of the article:
Many people are familiar with the situation when they want to sleep, but they just can't fall asleep. There are a lot of stressful situations in the life of a modern person, which, of course, have a strong effect on sleep patterns. But athletes experience stress at every session, and insomnia in bodybuilding can be a big problem for them.
There are many ways to suppress the synthesis of cortisol, which is known to be a stress hormone. It not only causes the destruction of muscle tissue, but can also lead to insomnia. But it is during sleep that the muscles recover the fastest.
With frequent lack of sleep, all desire to visit the gym disappears, concentration decreases, which can lead to injury. Unfortunately, insomnia can be difficult to combat. But there are also quite effective ways. Today we will deal with how insomnia in bodybuilding can be defeated.
What to do if you have insomnia?
It should be said right away that today we will not remember about powerful sleeping pills. The challenge is not to fall asleep in any way. In addition, it is very difficult to wake up after such medications. You may experience a headache, increased sweating, and a feeling of extreme dryness in the mouth.
It is important to return to a healthy and full sleep, which is able to relieve all daytime excitement and stress. The only drug that can be used in extreme cases is Phenobarbital. It is a mild sleeping pill that is prescribed even for children.
To overcome insomnia, you need to understand the causes of its occurrence. It is very important to understand why your nervous system is depressed or overexcited. It is possible that you just overtrained, in which case you should reduce the load.
However, it is not always possible to identify or eliminate the cause of bodybuilding insomnia. No one is able to predict possible problems at work or at home. In addition, travel or flights can negatively affect sleep patterns. If at the same time a person is forced to move between time zones, then this can definitely cause insomnia.
Preparation for tournaments is very stressful for athletes. The severity of stress increases as the day of the start of the competition approaches and, especially on the last night before this event, the nervous system is very tense. Able to disrupt sleep and low-carb eating programs. In general, there can be a lot of reasons for the occurrence.
Melatonin is the main remedy for insomnia
Melatonin is a drug that is unable to relieve stress from the nervous system or calm it down. Thanks to him, you can do exactly what we need, namely, return to normal sleep. This substance is synthesized by the pineal gland, or as it is also called, the pineal gland.
The speed of its production directly depends on the degree of illumination. If there is a lot of light, then the synthesis of melatonin slows down or even stops. But when the illumination decreases, then melatonin begins to be synthesized in large quantities. At night, the body produces about 70 percent of the daily value of this hormone, which was the reason for the recommendation to sleep in the dark.
You need to know that with age, the body begins to produce less and less hormone, which is the reason for the shorter sleep in older people, compared to young people. When the level of hormone synthesis begins to decline, then we can talk about the beginning of human aging.
Also, scientists have found that a decrease in melatonin production contributes to the development of malignant tumors. This is due to the high antioxidant properties of the substance.
It has been proven that only melatonin has the ability to enter any cell of the body, and contributes to their recovery. Thus, we can safely say that with a low level of melatonin, tissue repair is very slow.
If insomnia begins to torment you, then about an hour before bedtime, you should drink one tablet of the drug. In the time remaining after taking Melatonin, you should drink less and try not to eat. You should also limit your mobility. You can buy Melatonin at a regular pharmacy, but the most important thing is to determine the correct dosage.
Start with one milligram, and if this is not enough, then you should gradually increase the dosage. It's just very important not to do it abruptly. If there are competitions ahead of you or you have moved to a new apartment, then take Melatonin for a couple of days.
It should also be said that the level of the hormone can be determined independently and it is quite simple to do this. If you can wake up at the right time without alarms, then your melatonin levels are normal.
Other ways to combat insomnia
One of the easiest ways to combat insomnia is to walk. For about an hour or two, walk for about half an hour. This is a great way to prevent insomnia. Of course, you should not drink alcohol before going to bed, eat less food. It is very good to take a hot bath and massage. Many people fall asleep well when reading literature containing complex terms, and if at the same time try to understand the essence of what they read, then the chances of a healthy sleep increase.
We should not forget about traditional medicine. There are herbs that can help you sleep. The most famous remedy is valerian tincture. The drug can also be produced in tablet form, and in this case, you should take two tablets half an hour before bedtime. If you are using a tincture, then you need to take about 20 drops.
There are many preparations containing valerian. Mint also has a very good effect on sleep patterns. These are the remedies for fighting insomnia in bodybuilding that can help you.
On the methods of dealing with insomnia in this video:
Greetings to you, our dear readers. In this chapter, we will talk about sleep. Yes, yes, it is about a bodybuilder's dream - since you cannot neglect its importance in any way! After all, as you know, the growth of our muscles does not occur at all during training. During super-powerful physical influences, when working with a barbell, dumbbells or on simulators, our myofibrils (muscle molecules), on the contrary, are destroyed, damaged and massively killed.
They grow and increase due to the ability of our body to overcompensate - exactly the same amount is recreated as died, plus some percentage of additional muscle cells in reserve. It is due to the anatomical ability of our body to "stockpile" a person and has the ability to build up his muscle mass.
Moreover, this growth does not take place in the gym at all, as many newcomers think. It happens outside of it. Our muscles grow when we eat, read, watch TV, in general, rest or sleep. Yes, yes, it is during sleep that the Sami are the main restorative processes in our body! Therefore, it is impossible for a bodybuilder to indulge in sleep, and even dangerous! A serious bodybuilder must get enough sleep - 8 hours a day is the minimum, because without sufficient daily recovery you will not see an athletic physique. You just wake yourself up to destroy yourself with grueling workouts, do not let the body rise from its knees. This is why sleep should be taken as seriously as exercise.
Now that we understand the importance of sleep in bodybuilding, let's take a closer look at the basic rules that will make your sleep more productive, accelerating the recovery process. So, what should be the proper sleep of an athlete?
A number of rules that will make a bodybuilder's sleep more rewarding, productive and enjoyable: 
Here, for today, and everything that we wanted to tell you about the dream of a bodybuilder athlete. Follow these simple rules, get a good night's sleep, fully recover, and in the morning go back to the gym with renewed vigor!
Sleep is one of the key factors in bodybuilding. Over 90% of growth hormone is released at night. A period of 24-48 hours (including sleep time) after a hard workout is very important. Right now, the repair and construction of new muscle fibers is taking place. Sleep is the main time for amino acid metabolism, synthesis and release of hormones.
It is very important to understand the phenomenon of sleep - how hormones behave and how exercise affects them. But it's even more important to figure out what you can do to improve sleep and speed up recovery.
You know that resistance training builds lean muscle mass, increases strength, and helps you shed excess fat. In a normal person, muscle growth occurs only when protein synthesis exceeds proteolysis, that is, its breakdown. Muscle cells must have a positive nitrogen balance in order for them to be in an anabolic state. Resistance training accelerates protein production, but without proper nutrition and proper supplementation, it can send your body into a catabolic state.
The presence of amino acids is a very important factor for protein synthesis. With the maximum amount of amino acids, protein synthesis is maximized. Since amino acids are used to repair and rebuild muscle fibers, it makes sense to give your body all of the key amino acids just before sleep during sleep to prevent muscle breakdown and boost muscle synthesis. Therefore, slow-digesting proteins such as milk protein isolate or casein are very beneficial to take before bed. They provide a constant stream of amino acids while you sleep, which is essential for the recovery process.
The circadian rhythm also determines the rate at which hormones are released in the body. As a bodybuilder, you are interested in maximizing the release of growth hormone, testosterone, and IGF-1 while you sleep. Resistance training has a powerful effect on when and how these hormones are released.
The first thing you should do is get yourself 8-10 hours of sleep a night. Why? Even the slightest deficiency can affect your body's hormonal response to exercise and increase the breakdown of muscle fibers, inhibiting their synthesis.
So what makes us sleep more at night than during the day? The pineal gland in the brain releases melatonin, which is then converted into the hormone serotonin, which makes us fall asleep. Less melatonin is released during daylight hours than at night.
There are four main stages of sleep, as well as a fifth called REM sleep. The most important stages for a bodybuilder are stages three and four, called slow motion sleep. People who are few in these stages usually wake up with more muscle soreness. This is why naps do not diminish it. During the day, it is difficult to enter the third and fourth stages of sleep.
The hormonal response during sleep in people exercising is different from those who are sedentary. For example, studies have shown that people who exercise are lower in the first half of sleep and higher in the second, as opposed to passive people who do the opposite. Testosterone levels are usually low early in sleep and rise in the morning. The same thing happens with cortisol. Again, exercise can change this by keeping cortisol levels high in the first half of the night and lowering them in the second. Therefore, it is very important to immediately suppress the secretion of cortisol by taking special nutritional supplements, such as phosphatidylserine, before bed.
During the night, testosterone levels in exercising individuals rise. Growth hormone comes into play in the third and fourth stages of sleep, during REM sleep, cortisol levels rise. This is not very good in terms of muscle building. Cell division (mitosis) in all fibers, including muscle, increases in the morning, often coinciding with stages 3 and 4 of sleep. Growth hormone also plays a role here.
As you might guess, lack of sleep also negatively affects the functioning of the immune system. Its weakening begins to manifest itself after a few days of partial sleep deprivation and much sooner after a complete lack of sleep.
Natural sleeping pills
If you are experiencing sleep disturbances or want to improve sleep quality, try the following drugs.
Melatonin
It is a natural pineal hormone. Some studies show that it can improve REM sleep and boost the production of growth hormone (which is interesting for bodybuilders). Melatonin can improve the quality of sleep, but in some people it causes enhanced dreams. Therefore, be careful, a dose of 2-5 mg before bed is sufficient for most people.
Kava kava
This herb is used as a soothing and relaxing agent, as well as to treat anxiety. Its active ingredients, called kavalactones, act as mild depressants on the central nervous system. Taking 100 mg of active cavalactones before bed can improve its quality.
Valerian
This plant has also been used as a relaxing and soothing remedy for many years. Scientists consider it a mild tranquilizer that can speed up falling asleep. The sooner you fall asleep, the sooner you reach phases 3 and 4. Doses of 200-500 mg of standardized extract (5 to 1 for valeric acid) before bed are sufficient.
L-theanine
This amino acid extract from green tea has a powerful relaxing effect. It has been observed to stimulate alpha brain waves that induce relaxation and dull stress responses. Several studies suggest that L-theanine has beneficial effects on brain function. Dose - 250 mg at bedtime.
Rehan Jalali
Sleep is one of the key factors in bodybuilding. Over 90% of growth hormone is released at night. A period of 24-48 hours (including sleep time) after a hard workout is very important. Right now, the repair and construction of new muscle fibers is taking place (1). Sleep is the prime time for amino acid metabolism, protein synthesis, and hormone release.
It is very important to understand the phenomenon of sleep - how hormones behave and how exercise affects them. But it's even more important to figure out what you can do to improve sleep and speed up recovery.
You know that resistance training builds lean muscle mass, increases strength, and helps you shed excess fat (2Trusted). In a normal person, muscle growth occurs only when protein synthesis exceeds proteolysis, that is, its breakdown. Muscle cells must have a positive nitrogen balance in order for them to be in an anabolic state. Resistance training accelerates protein production, but without proper nutrition and supplementation, it can send your body into a catabolic state (1Trusted).
The presence of amino acids is a very important factor for protein synthesis. With the maximum amount of amino acids, protein synthesis is also maximum (3). Since amino acids are used to repair and rebuild muscle fibers, it makes sense to give your body all of the key amino acids just before sleep during sleep to prevent muscle breakdown and boost muscle synthesis. Therefore, slow-digesting proteins such as milk protein isolate or casein are very beneficial to take before bed. They provide a constant stream of amino acids while you sleep, which is essential for the recovery process.
The circadian rhythm also determines the rate at which hormones are released in the body (4). As a bodybuilder, you are interested in maximizing the release of growth hormone, testosterone, and IGF-1 while you sleep. Resistance training has a powerful effect on when and how these hormones are released.
The first thing you should do is get yourself 8-10 hours of sleep a night. Why? Even the smallest deficiency can affect your body's hormonal response to exercise and increase muscle breakdown, inhibiting muscle synthesis (5).
So what makes us sleep more at night than during the day? The pineal gland in the brain releases melatonin, which is then converted into the hormone serotonin, which makes us fall asleep. Less melatonin is released during daylight hours than at night.
There are four main stages of sleep, as well as a fifth called REM sleep. The most important stages for a bodybuilder are stages three and four, called slow motion sleep. People who are few in these stages usually wake up with more muscle soreness. This is why naps do not diminish it. During the day, it is difficult to enter the third and fourth stages of sleep.
The hormonal response during sleep in people exercising is different from those who are sedentary. For example, studies have shown that exercising people have lower growth hormone release in the first half of sleep and higher in the second, in contrast to passive people, who do the opposite (7). Testosterone levels are usually low early in sleep and rise in the morning. The same thing happens with cortisol. Again, exercise can change this by keeping cortisol levels high in the first half of the night and lowering them in the second. Therefore, it is very important to immediately suppress the secretion of cortisol by taking special nutritional supplements, such as phosphatidylserine, before bed.
During the night, testosterone levels in exercising individuals rise (8). Growth hormone comes into play in the third and fourth stages of sleep, and cortisol levels rise during REM sleep (9). This is not very good in terms of muscle building. Cell division (mitosis) in all fibers, including muscle, increases in the morning, often coinciding with stages 3 and 4 of sleep. Growth hormone also plays a role here.
As you might guess, lack of sleep also negatively affects the functioning of the immune system. Its weakening begins to manifest itself after a few days of partial sleep deprivation and much sooner after a complete lack of sleep (10).
Natural sleeping pills
If you are experiencing sleep disturbances or want to improve sleep quality, try the following drugs.
Melatonin
It is a natural pineal hormone. Some studies show that it can improve REM sleep and spur growth hormone production (which is of interest to bodybuilders) (11). Melatonin can improve the quality of sleep, but in some people it causes enhanced dreams. Therefore, be careful, a dose of 2-5 mg before bed is sufficient for most people.
Kava kava
This herb is used as a soothing and relaxing agent, as well as to treat anxiety. Its active ingredients, called kavalactones, act as mild depressants on the central nervous system. Taking 100 mg of active cavalactones before bed can improve its quality.
Valerian
This plant has also been used as a relaxing and soothing remedy for many years. Scientists consider it a mild tranquilizer that can speed up falling asleep. The sooner you fall asleep, the sooner you reach phases 3 and 4. Doses of 200-500 mg of standardized extract (5 to 1 for valeric acid) before bed are sufficient.
L-theanine
This amino acid extract from green tea has a powerful relaxing effect. It has been observed to stimulate alpha brain waves that induce relaxation and dull stress responses. Several studies suggest that L-theanine has beneficial effects on brain function. Dose - 250 mg at bedtime.
Post-workout recovery is critical, and sleep is widely recognized as an essential part of recovery. Find out more about what sleep is, why it is important, and how to increase its anabolic effect!
While resistance training is an effective way to achieve significant improvements in physique (i.e., increase in muscle mass and burn fat), it takes a tremendous amount of effort. This means that post-workout recovery is critical, and sleep is widely recognized as a critical component of recovery. It's just a fact: in order to recover and grow, you need to rest.
Unfortunately, sleep is sometimes an unaffordable luxury, and many bodybuilders do not get enough of it. Sometimes a busy workout schedule is to blame, sometimes neglect of the importance of sleep. This is a mistake, because this attitude towards sleep will lead to the fact that you will be painfully marking time in one place, not seeing any progress.
After you read this article, you will know what sleep is, how it works, why it is important, and how best to increase the anabolic effect of sleep for more muscle growth.
Dream
The phases of sleep are regulated by the biological clock in accordance with the time of day.
In the morning, as light levels rise, your body begins to release more chemicals like adrenaline and dopamine, while simultaneously decreasing the release of chemicals that cause drowsiness. This allows you to wake up and invigorate.
Adrenalin Is a hormone and neurotransmitter. It is a catecholamine, a sympathomimetic monoamine that is derived from the amino acid phenylalanine and.
Dopamine Is a neurotransmitter that is present in the body of a wide variety of animals, both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, phenethylamine works as a neurotransmitter, activating five types of dopamine receptors: D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5, as well as their subtypes.
In the evenings, when light levels decrease, the body begins to release more substances such as serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid, while simultaneously reducing the release of substances that stimulate activity. It allows you to relax and prepares you for sleep.
Serotonin Is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system and in enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract.
Is a natural hormone. Circulation levels differ at different times of the day, and melatonin plays an important role in the regulation of circadian rhythms in several biological functions.
Gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian CNS. It plays an important role in regulating the excitability of neurons throughout the nervous system.
Sleep includes a number of periods that can be divided into five phases:
The first phase of sleep
Drowsiness, slowing down of brain activity, closing of eyes. It is in this phase of sleep that you are most easily awakened.
The second phase of sleep
Further slowing down of brain activity and increasing muscle relaxation. The heart rate slows down, the body temperature goes down. The musculoskeletal system begins to shut down, preparing for deep sleep.
The third and fourth phases of sleep
Continued decrease in brain activity, complete shutdown of the musculoskeletal system, loss of awareness and a slowdown in metabolism.
The third phase passes into the fourth - the deepest stage of sleep, from which a person is most difficult to wake up. This is the most beneficial phase of sleep, as it is during this phase that growth hormone levels peak.
REM sleep
The fifth phase of sleep is the so-called REM sleep. During this phase, the eyes move quickly, and the person in it sees vivid dreams. Heart rate and breathing rate accelerate, blood pressure rises.
Over the course of one night, we repeatedly go through all these phases. This diagram shows how the phases of sleep replace each other.
As you can see, sleep phases change each other many times, and REM sleep from time to time "interferes" with this process.
The importance of sleep: anabolism and more
So, with the science out of the way, let's move on to a pleasant one: How can sleep help your health and increase muscle mass?
Sleep has an invaluable effect on your entire body. It is during sleep that your body recovers from exertion, heals damage and builds muscle mass. During sleep, hormones are released most intensively, which is why sleep has an anabolic effect.
In addition, during sleep, the reserves of neurotransmitters (special chemicals) are replenished, which are necessary for strength training to be effective and safe. These neurotransmitters include dopamine, adrenaline, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, and more.
Neurotransmitters Are chemicals that transmit, amplify, and regulate signals between neurons and other cells. Neurotransmitters are located in vesicles that cluster under the membrane on the presynaptic side of the synapse and exit into the synaptic cleft, where they bind receptors located in the membrane on the postsynaptic side of the synapse.
These substances are responsible for alertness, focus, motivation, overall energy levels, and muscle contractions. They are depleted from hard training and any other activity. Only sleep allows the body to heal itself, replenishing the reserves of the substances it needs to achieve results.
At the same time, sleep is important for the immune system, mental health and the millions of biological processes that take place in the body every day. Without enough sleep, your body will not function properly, your health will deteriorate, and your results will drop.
Lack of sleep Is the best way to impair health and cause muscle wasting. Sleep deprivation is associated with a number of diseases, including depression, lowered immunity, and a number of serious illnesses, incl. heart problems.
Reducing the amount of sleep leads to a decrease in the time the body has to recover and grow muscles.
Sleep deprivation is particularly damaging when it comes to building muscle, as less sleep leads to less time the body has to recover and grow.
As a result, it can cause inflammation throughout the body, increased cortisol levels, catabolism, decreased muscle tissue, and increased adipose tissue. In addition, lack of sleep leads to a decrease in the level of anabolic hormones and disruption of the normal functioning of the body.
Scientific fact: lack of sleep increases the stress that the body receives from training, and a person is at risk of overtraining. But there is another consequence of lack of sleep: increased risk of injury.
Lack of sleep will have a huge negative impact on your ability to concentrate - and thus, stay alert in the gym. Without proper concentration, you will not be able to pay attention to following the technique when performing the exercise, and because of this, the risk of injury increases.
How to maximize the anabolic effect of sleep
It is best to increase the anabolic effect of sleep in the following ways:
- Change the environment in which you sleep
- Use effective nutritional supplements
An increase in the anabolic effect of sleep means an increase in the quality and quantity of sleep itself - in that sequence.
The quality of sleep is more important than its quantity - any person who is constantly awakened by something will confirm this to you. For the anabolic effect of sleep to be maximized, sleep must be deep.
Situation
The environment in which you sleep has a huge impact on how easily you fall asleep and how much you sleep. Nowadays, many people find it difficult to fall asleep because they are surrounded by too much light and noise.
Although it is almost impossible to provide yourself with a completely dark and quiet environment, you need to try to get as close to this as possible.
As already mentioned, sleep phases change in accordance with the time of day. In the morning, when the light level rises, you wake up. In the evening, when the light levels drop, you begin to relax. This is mainly due to melatonin.
Do your best to protect yourself from light and noise during sleep.
Scientific studies have shown that melatonin stimulates the onset of sleep, and light decreases the level of melatonin secretion in the human body. In other words, if there is too much light where you sleep, your body's secretion of sleep hormones will be lowered, making it harder for you to fall asleep.
Noise also affects your ability to fall asleep, because while your brain can fall asleep in incomplete silence, it continues to perceive sounds, which means that noise can wake you up in the middle of the night, even when you are in the deepest and most rewarding phase of sleep.
Therefore, do your best to shield yourself from light and noise during sleep. By doing this, you will be able to fall asleep more easily and sleep without waking up until the morning.
Nutritional supplements
Nutritional supplements play a huge role in the anabolic effect of sleep. Some supplements make it easier to fall asleep, while others directly increase the anabolic effect of sleep.
Preparations for falling asleep
Is a supplement from, magnesium and. While this supplement can dramatically increase testosterone levels in those who are zinc deficient, its real value is that it makes it easier to fall asleep and leads to vivid dreams. It also makes sleep more sound, allowing the person to wake up refreshed.
Is a chemical element that is secreted by the pineal gland. It allows the person to relax and fall asleep. As a dietary supplement, melatonin is absorbed very quickly. Research has shown that melatonin effectively "reboots" the body clock that regulates sleep patterns.
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)- an element released in the brain before bedtime. GABA is important not only because it stimulates sleep, but also leads to increased secretion of hormones in the fourth phase of sleep.
Supplements to increase the anabolic effect of sleep
Glutamine Is an amino acid that prevents catabolism, stimulates optimal hormone secretion, and strengthens the immune system.
During various sleep phases, due to a lack of amino acids, muscle tissue can be burned, which can lead to an increase in cortisol secretion and inflammation. helps maintain nitrogen balance in the body and aids recovery.
BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acids) have anabolic properties and increase the level of testosterone and other hormones.
They may also help lower cortisol levels during sleep, preventing catabolism and promoting anabolism.
Protein shakes It is especially beneficial to take before bed, as different types of protein promote the release of amino acids in different proportions, providing the body with amino acids throughout the night and preventing catabolism that occurs from lack of amino acids.
Helps maintain nitrogen balance and keep muscle tissue from burning.
Specialized enzymes
Specialized enzymes are a new but highly sought-after dietary supplement. They effectively increase the anabolic effect of sleep as enzymes help reduce inflammation. Clinical studies have shown that protease and sitosterol can reduce inflammation by 63%!
Protease Is an enzyme that controls proteolysis, i.e. triggers protein catabolism by hydrolysis of peptide bonds that bind amino acids in the polypeptide chain.
Sitosterol- one of several phytosterols with chemical structures close to cholesterol. White, wax-like to the touch.
By reducing inflammation and catabolism, specialized enzymes aid in recovery and stimulate anabolism and muscle growth during sleep.
What to do before bed
What you do in the evening has a huge impact on your sleep. Follow these tips to increase the anabolic effect of sleep:
- Follow a routine by always going to bed at the same time.
- Avoid excessive physical activity for several hours before bed.
- Avoid drinking and alcohol for several hours before bed.
- Don't eat a lot of food at night.
Conclusion
Sleep is essential for muscle growth. Sleep is a critical period for muscle recovery and growth, and can also be a critical period for anabolism throughout the day. But the trick is that sleep can also induce catabolism.
The best way to boost the anabolic effect of sleep is to improve your sleep environment and take time-tested supplements to help you fall asleep, support sound sleep throughout the night, and stimulate anabolism during rest and recovery.
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