Good sleep is the foundation of optimal performance

Studies in young athletes show that sleeping fewer than 8 hours per night nearly doubles the risk of injury, an association researchers link to impaired reaction times and cognitive function caused by sleep deprivation (Milewski et al. (2014)).

During deep sleep (non-REM sleep stages), growth hormone (GH) release increases significantly. GH plays an important role in stimulating protein synthesis and repairing muscle fibres that are naturally damaged during training.

Insufficient sleep is one of the factors that can push athletes towards overtraining, while better sleep quality can support performance without the need for excessive training loads. (Nieman et al.)