Sleep in bodybuilding, and the processes of athlete muscle recovery

Greetings, our dear readers of the sports portal www.fitness-bodybuilding.ru. In this chapter we will talk about sleep. Yes, yes, specifically about a bodybuilder’s dream, since its importance cannot be neglected! After all, as you know, the growth of our muscles does not occur during training. During extreme physical exertion, when working with a barbell, dumbbells or on exercise machines, our myofibrils (muscle molecules), on the contrary, are destroyed, damaged and die en masse.

They grow and increase due to our body’s ability to overcompensate - exactly the same number are recreated as were lost, plus a certain percentage of additional muscle cells in reserve. It is due to the anatomical ability of our body to “store in reserve” that a person has the opportunity to build up his muscle mass.

Moreover, this growth does not happen in the gym, as many beginners think. It happens outside of him. Our muscles grow when we eat, read, watch TV, generally rest or sleep. Yes, it is during sleep that the main restoration processes in our body occur! Therefore, it is in no way possible for a bodybuilder to be lax about sleep, and even dangerous! A serious bodybuilder must get a good night's sleep - 8 hours a day is the minimum, because without sufficient daily recovery you will not have an athletic physique. You are simply waking yourself up with grueling workouts, not allowing your body to rise from its knees. This is why sleep should be taken as seriously as exercise.

Now, understanding how important sleep is in bodybuilding, let's take a closer look at the basic rules that will make your sleep more productive, speeding up the recovery process. So, what should an athlete’s proper sleep be like?

A number of rules that will make a bodybuilder’s sleep more useful, productive and enjoyable:

1. Two hours before bedtime, be sure to finish all planned physical activity. No exercise equipment or late evening jogging - the body needs to be gradually prepared for sleep...
2. It is advisable to ventilate your sleeping area well, because it is so pleasant to sleep inhaling fresh, clean air. And in winter, when it is also frosty, or during a thunderstorm, when it is highly ionized, it is doubly pleasant!
3. Sometimes it happens: you come home in the evening after a killer training, and there is no strength left for anything. Even crawl to the bathtub and take a shower! However, make it a habit to always hydrate after training, and especially in the evening before bed. It has long been known that a light shower or a warm bath promotes speedy recovery and has a very positive effect on our sleep and rest.
4. It is very useful to read non-stressful literature before going to bed, especially with light music. All this relaxes our body even more and helps us fall asleep faster and sleep soundly.
5. Another good piece of advice from a reputable bodybuilding online publication that has long gained popularity among Ru-Net athletes: try to go to bed early if possible. Scientists have long established that the first phase of sleep is the most important, and therefore, rather than going to bed at midnight, it is much more beneficial to go to bed, for example, at 22:00. And even better at 21:00.
6. As mentioned earlier, an athlete’s sleep, especially a bodybuilder’s, should last at least 8 hours. It’s even better if you have the opportunity to sleep for several hours during the daytime - this will be the best option for the body.
7. There are natural, natural remedies to improve our sleep. So, it is no longer a secret for many that, for example, tangerine peels have a beneficial effect on a person’s sleep, and much more stimulate him to healthy, sound sleep.
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   As the ancient Russian proverb says: “As you make your bed, so will you sleep,” so bedding should be clean, fresh, well tucked in - all this is also of no small importance for our healthy sleep.
9. Your place to sleep: bed, mattress, pillow - this is also important! As you know, the average person spends at least 8 hours sleeping every day. And this is a third of a day, and therefore a third of our entire life. So is it really worth saving on a third of our lives? Of course, it is worth making sure that this third proceeds in comfort. Yes, a good mattress now costs almost the same as a good bed - it seems a little expensive, but believe me, it’s worth it! Moreover, now you can buy cheap mattresses 140x200, 160x200, 200x200, and any other size you need in specialized online stores, thereby saving a significant part of your financial resources. In the end it won't be that expensive...
10. Of course, a positive attitude and psychological calm also play a big role. Go to sleep, throwing away all worries and worries. Leave any routine everyday problems and the next headache for tomorrow. Think about something pleasant - for example, about how your muscles are growing, how you are becoming stronger and every day you are getting closer and closer to your cherished dream. This is very important.