Sleep And Recovery

If in your waking hours you are more likely to spend time with the characters from Twilight, then chances are you probably have trouble catching Zs. Getting enough sleep is a very important part of training. In fact, when it comes to your regimen, getting quality shut-eye could be more important than the training session itself. In fact, sleep and recovery are key to seeing those sought-after gains. Sleep helps the body heal, prevents injuries and illness, and supports brain and heart health. When you are awake, your body has other things to worry about and the rejuvenation process is slowed down considerably. So, when you are out for the count, the body takes the opportunity to essentially reboot your system. Let’s take a closer look at exactly how sleep and recovery work in giving you gains and getting you ready for the next training set.

Protein is one way the body replenishes itself after a hard workout, so there is an argument for having a pre-bedtime snack in order to prevent muscle breakdown overnight. However, if you want to hit the sack as hard as you hit the bags, there are some things to consider getting the most out of the sleep and recovery phase. There is a healthy debate as to what protein helps you recover better: whey protein or casein protein. Whey protein is fast digesting and bioavailable which assists in protein muscle synthesis, whereas casein is slow digesting which helps prevent overnight muscle breakdown.

Although casein’s slow digestion is helpful with muscle breakdown, it has its drawbacks. While casein keeps you full longer, it takes a much longer time to break down. That means casein can be hard for the body to digest – if the body needs the energy to digest a slow digesting food like casein, it takes power away from the overnight healing process and your sweet dreams.

Digestion slows down while you are asleep, which means the amino acids needed for recovery have a slower uptake. Because of this, it might be to your advantage to choose whey protein over casein. If you are having hunger pangs before bedtime or you are jonesing for a midnight snack, try a scoop of SFH FUEL. The whey protein will provide you with clean protein synthesis, and the coconut milk powder and fiber from apple pectin gives your body a source of fuel so your body won’t binge on your lean muscles while sleeping. Another delicious option would be mixing milk with SFH PURE. A whey protein shake is a delicious snack and is also a nice way to help you nod off and it adds casein naturally.

When looking for a protein supplement for your big sleep, make sure to consider clean sources and the effectiveness of the product. SFH has several high-quality protein supplement choices that can help you meet your goals on the field, at the gym…and on your pillow.