Insufficient Sleep: The Silent Enemy of Fitness 1
Insufficient Sleep: The Silent Enemy of Fitness
Brad Park
Western Governors University
Insufficient Sleep: The Silent Enemy of Fitness 2
It can be seen on television, read in the paper, and heard on the radio that it's time for America to get into shape. Obesity is up and engaging in healthy exercise is down. The obvious thing to blame is poor food choices and if that's coupled with working long hours then it's no wonder. Nevertheless, despite those issues people are finally deciding to make fitness a priority in their lives by watching what they eat and exercising more. However, they may find that the weight's not coming off, physical performance is going down, or they can't seem to put on any muscle. The culprit behind these issues may be surprising: sleep. A lack of sleep, which is becoming the norm in our society, is being proven to negatively effect several key areas of one's physical fitness.
First, studies show a connection between sleep deprivation and weight control including less fat loss, changes in metabolism, and increased hunger. Next, research conducted on sleep restricted athletes resulted in less stamina, slower reaction times, and changes in mood. Finally, tests on sleep deprived subjects showed lowered testosterone, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor 1
(IGF-1) levels which all play major roles in building muscle. Getting enough sleep every night is more important to your fitness than you may think. Research suggests that an inadequate amount of sleep is detrimental to weight control, physical performance, and muscle growth.
Weight Control
A lack of sleep has major consequences when it comes to losing fat. These include less fat loss when compared to dieters getting adequate amounts of sleep, a change in metabolism for the worse, and even increased hunger