Many of the world’s greatest athletes eat, sleep, breathe, and live for their sport. But did you know that in addition to physical conditioning and conscious eating, sleep plays a major role in athletic performance and competitive results? The quality and amount of sleep athletes get is often the key to winning. REM sleep in particular provides energy to both the brain and body. If sleep is cut short, the body doesn’t have time to repair memory, consolidate memory, and release hormones like HGH (Human Growth Hormone), that regulates body composition, body fluids, muscle and bone growth, sugar and fat metabolism, and also leptin and adiponectin, both of which play major roles in fat gain and loss. Skipping a few hours of sleep can have detrimental side effects on any athlete, especially when it comes to peak physical performance!
