The importance of sleeping well to increase muscle mass

Muscles are made in the gym and in bed. Just as you read.

If you spend 2 hours a day lifting weights at the gym and taking supplements to increase muscle mass, but spend less than 7 hours sleeping, you are wasting your time.

So if you want to know why you should stop falling asleep in the middle of the night and getting up at 4:00 am to train, we will tell you about the importance of sleeping well to increase muscle mass.

What happens in our body when we sleep?

Sleeping is a basic activity for survival. Just as eating provides us with the necessary nutrients to have energy, during the sleep state our body reboots like a computer: we process emotions, regulate hormone production, and muscles recover from the previous day's physical activity .

Two hormones participate in the process of gaining muscle mass : growth hormone and testosterone. As we already mentioned, the hormonal regulation process occurs during sleep . So, if you sleep 5 hours, the hormones that are responsible for completing the work you did in the gym during the day will not be able to properly fulfill their function.

There have even been studies that corroborate that with just one week of bad sleep, testosterone levels decrease, affecting the increase in muscle mass.

And if you don't get enough sleep and you don't exercise, you can have a loss of muscle mass and an increase in body fat , as this research states.

So no matter how many muscle-building supplements you use, if you don't sleep well and let your hormones recover, it will all be in vain.

How much should I sleep to gain muscle mass?

Unfortunately, nowadays, sleep has become a luxury. Those who go to bed late working and get up very early to train are praised. But, did you know that high-performance athletes prioritize sleeping between 8 and 9 hours?

Because if you don't rest enough, your body will not have the energy necessary to respond to the demands of your workouts.

You, although you are not a sports professional, also need to rest. What experts recommend is that a normal person should sleep at least 7 hours to have a truly restful rest.

Have you noticed that over the years a night of bad sleep can be equivalent to a night of heavy drinking? Tiredness, lack of energy and lack of concentration are the main symptoms of a sleepless night .

And as age advances, the hours of sleep become less, so you have to take advantage of them very well. Otherwise, your physical and mental health will be affected and you will not want to get up to exercise the next day, or cook foods that truly nourish you.

How to sleep better?

If you were one of those who did not believe in the importance of sleeping well to increase muscle mass and you need help to improve your sleeping habits , we give you some recommendations so that you can have your head on the pillow for more hours:

• Try to have your last meal 3 hours before bedtime.
• Stop consuming drinks 2 hours before bed.
• Use your cell phone, computer or tablet up to 1 hour before bed.
• Always go to bed and get up at the same time.
• Avoid drinking coffee after 3:00 pm

You may be interested in: Sleeping better: tips and tricks for a restful rest

Supplements to gain muscle mass

Since you know that sleep is necessary for your muscles to develop, there are some options that can help speed up the process . At Evolution Advance we have two supplements to gain muscle mass:

• Fit&Strong whey protein that helps you accelerate muscle toning.
• Creatine , a monohydrated creatine that contributes to increased energy for exercise and facilitates muscle mass gain.

If you combine a good diet, with adequate hours of training, good quality sleep and the intake of supplements, your muscles will grow faster than you imagine.