15
Apr
130415
Workout of the Day
A.
Four sets of:
Hang Snatch + Snatch
Rest 2-3 minutes
B.
In teams of two, partners alternate rounds to complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 12 minutes of:
12 Wall Ball Shots (20/12 lbs)
12 Burpees
How sleep affects sports performance
The amount of sleep one gets impacts immune function and brain function. Sleep deprivation can negatively impact physiology that is critical for athletic performance — glucose metabolism and cortisol status (Dement, 2004; Mah, 2007, 2009; Van Cauter, 2010). Sleep deprivation can lead to increased levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), decreased activity of human growth hormone (which is active during tissue repair), and decreased glycogen synthesis.
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Adequate sleep helps improve athletic performance because during sleep growth hormone is released. Growth hormone stimulates muscle growth and repair, bone building and fat burning, and helps athletes recover.
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Glucose and glycogen (stored glucose) are the main sources of energy for athletes. Being able to store glucose in muscle and the liver is particularly important for endurance athletes. Those who are sleep deprived may experience slower storage of glycogen, which prevents storage of the fuel an athlete needs for endurance events beyond 90 minutes.
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Elevated levels of cortisol may interfere with tissue repair and growth. Over time, this could prevent an athlete from responding to heavy training and lead to overtraining and injury.
How to use sleep to improve sports performance
- Make sleep a priority in your training schedule.
- Balance your social, academic, and sports schedule to make sure you get adequate sleep.
- Increase your sleep time several weeks before a major competition.
- Go to bed and wake up at the same times every day.
- Relax before bed: Take a warm bath, read, or some other relaxing routine
- While sleeping, make sure your bedroom is dark, cool temperature, and quiet.
- Turn off your cell phone during sleep time.
- Use an alarm clock so you don’t worry about getting up on time.
- Don’t lie in bed awake. If you can’t’ get to sleep, get up and do something else like read, listen to music, or fold laundry, etc. until you feel sleepy.
- Don’t take daily naps if you don’t get enough sleep each night. If you can’t make it through the day without a nap, sleep less than 1 hour before 3 pm.
- Reduce caffeine, nicotine, and sugar intake, especially in the afternoon/evening hours.
- Drink a moderate amount of alcohol or not at all. Alcohol robs people of deep sleep and REM sleep and keeps them in the lighter stages of sleep.