Everyone knows that it is important to get enough rest. I am also sure everyone knows why, so I will just take a few minutes and explain it again. Just incase some of those reading this don't actually know why.
Sleep is one of the most important things the human body does. When we fall asleep our body repairs damaged and aging cells, it also lowers energy expenditure and metabolism. It rests the muscles repairs the muscles entering a phase called protein synthesis. Now most of us also enter a phase called catabolism during sleep as well. This means that our body is eating its own muscle tissue due to lack of fuel in the intestinal track. Even though the body's metabolism is lowered during sleep those of you who exercise like mad men and women will have such high metabolisms that you will you may even wake up in the middle of the night and tell yourself "ah I am starving" this is because of the catabolic cycle you have entered into during REM.
Ways to prevent catabolism and why its bad!
This is obviously only applicable to people who's goal is NOT to loose weight. These people will not GAIN weight but will maintain the same weight if they follow these steps. The catabolic process is one most weight lifters know about. It is the feared process in which your body beings to depend on your muscle for fuel. Now this is what we don't want! We spend hours on hours in the gym trying to train our muscles to grow and look how we want them the last thing we want to do is use them for fuel. So how do we stop this process?
The answer is easy, EAT. Ok seriously though how do you stop this process? EAT! Not kidding! Before bed is the perfect time to grab some food or a protein shake and eat. The body is only going to store fat if the food you eat is fat. If you are eating or drinking a lean protein shake then there is no reason your body will store that as fat. Instead your body will take a few hours to digest it while you are asleep because your body has dialed its metabolism back a little bit. Breakfast is called BREAK-FAST because you are attempting to break the fast you have entered in your sleep. Fasting is an excellent way to eat all your muscle up. Don't do that unless you have too... I NEVER suggest a bodybuilder to fast. It is a horrible way to prep your body in athletics or weight lifting. If you are obviously looking to be a toothpick then fasting 1 time per week for 12 hours would help. I NEVER SUGGEST ANYONE TO LOOK LIKE A TOOTHPICK... THAT IS NOT COOL NOR IS IT HEALTHY.
You want to look at your sleep as a way to gain MORE muscle not less. So there are other methods, you can drink casein protein. That kind of protein is a slower digesting protein. It is just as lean usually around 90-130 calories per serving. You mix it in water or milk just before bed and drink it. Usually it will take anywhere between 3-8 hours to digest depending on how much and what time you get. I usually suggest as a snack before bed you mix in 1 scoop of casein and 1 scoop of normal whey protein as you will give your body an immediate boost of protein and then release the rest slowly though out your sleep.
Back to the sleep
Sleep is important because you will allow your body to repair its damaged muscle tissue and enter its own healing process. The body is an amazing machine if you treat your body with care and compassion it will surely show you how amazing of a machine it can become. If your goal is to get lean or your goal is to bulk u p or your goal is to loose weight you need sleep it does not make a difference! Sleep is underrated if you are not getting enough sleep you can be entering a phase called OVERTRAINING much easier and much sooner than expected or desired.
If you do not know what over training is I believe I did an article on it last year that was pretty good so refer back to that one thank you!
For those of you who are looking to validate my information I will post 2 sources for sleep and muscle growth below!
Thanks again everyone,
Have a good day!
Frank
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson5.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21550729
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