Sleep is one of the most important points missed by individuals who aim to develop muscle and burn fat. Sleep has a very important role in the continuation of fat burning, muscle protein synthesis, recovery/regeneration and vital biological processes. A study by The University of Chicago and the National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports shows that insufficient sleep can slow weight loss, increase muscle loss potential, impair performance, and cause a drop in testosterone levels. (1,2,3)
In case of lack of sleep of sufficient quality and duration, some anti-anabolic conditions may occur in our body. The levels of IGF-1 and Testosterone hormones, two hormones closely related to strength training and muscle gain, decrease in restricted sleep state.
Testosterone is a hormone that directly increases muscle hypertrophy. Testosterone binds to androgen receptors and goes directly to the nucleus of the cell. In this way, it increases transcription and protein synthesis.Testosterone also inhibits the activity of other proteins that block the mTOR pathway, the primary cellular pathway of muscle hypertrophy. Although the effects of testosterone hormone, which fluctuates in physiologically natural ranges, are exaggerated, testosterone levels that are well above normal can be quite effective in muscle development through external steroid-derived drugs. Therefore, temporary periods or small amounts of sleep restrictions can create a fluctuation in testosterone "within its natural limits". However, it is very important that this situation does not lead to a chronic decrease in testosterone. In summary, not lowering testosterone levels is a very important part of the muscle gain process, but occasional sleep deficiencies will not have a huge impact.
IGF-1 (Insulin-like growth factor) hormone works through the mTOR pathway to increase protein synthesis. It also plays a critical role in enabling the proliferation of satellite cells. This means that if the insulin-like growth factor is reduced, further core potential reductions can occur for each muscle fiber. (For detailed information about satellite cells, you can read our article “How much muscle can we naturally build?” in our blog section.)
In summary, decreased levels of both IGF-1 and testosterone may result in a reduction in muscle protein synthesis.
It is known that sleep restriction causes direct catabolic effects as well as its anti-anabolic effects. The increase in cortisol hormone after training is a very natural and necessary process. However, chronic elevation of the hormone Cortisol blocks protein synthesis by preventing the activation of the mTOR pathway and activates pathways that lead to muscle protein breakdown. (3)
A meta-analysis currently under review examines the relationship between sleep and performance. According to this meta-analysis, sleep hygiene, sleep enhancement methods, etc. Other interventions to improve sleep quality seem beneficial. According to the results of this meta-analysis, improvements in sleep quality lead to improvements in various performance and health parameters. (5)
Some effects of sleep deficiencies on fat burning have been investigated by scientific studies. (6) In one study, subjects consisted of 10 healthy people aged 30-40 years who were overweight (mean BMI 27.4). These people include alcohol abusers, smokers, high caffeine drinkers, etc. There are no participants in a situation that may pose an obstacle such as One of the groups was grouped to sleep for 8.5 hours and the other for 5.5 hours. Energy intake and consumption were almost the same in both groups included in the study. (You can go to the link in the reference to review the methods of the study.)
According to the results of the study, approximately 3 kg of weight loss was experienced in both groups. However, the group that slept for 8.5 hours lost approximately 50-50% of fat and lean mass, while the group that slept for 5.5 hours lost 20% fat and 80% lean mass. That is, the group that slept 8.5 hours burned 2.33 times more fat than the group that slept 5.5 hours.
The effect of sleep restriction, with or without high-intensity interval exercise, on myofibrillar protein synthesis in healthy young men (6)
Sleep quality affects the quality of performance in activities that require strength training and athletic performance. There are many studies showing that caffeine has an effect on relieving insomnia and improving performance in cases with sleep restriction. (7) However, it is also important to find new strategies in order to get rid of the negative effects of this situation on training days with sleep restriction.
A study conducted this year showed that taking short naps/naps during the day in addition to caffeine can positively affect training performance. (8)
So how much sleep do we need?
The amount of sleep time you need can vary according to many factors, especially age. In general, 6-9 hours of sleep is recommended for various populations. Here's how much sleep various populations need, according to data from Mayoclinic:
In addition to this information, if your sleep is constantly interrupted and your sleep quality is low, you may need more sleep than the times written above. The quality of your sleep is more important than the duration of your sleep. On the other hand, special periods such as pregnancy, old age and childhood may need less or more sleep. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can adversely affect sleep quality. In addition, children/young individuals may need more sleep than they are in growing up, while older individuals need relatively shorter sleep times. (9-14)
As a result, sleep has a very important place for fitness gains. Insufficient sleep has some harmful effects on fat burning, recovery, muscle building and performance. Various strategies can work to prevent insufficient sleep, improve sleep quality, or eliminate the negative effects of insomnia in case of insufficient sleep. These strategies are some measures to improve sleep quality (sleep hygiene), a short nap on the day of sleeplessness, and caffeine intake.
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