The Importance Of Sleep In The Endurance Athlete

by OuiLife2017 | Sep 14, 2022 | Podcast

Many people who lead active lives, particularly athletes, are guilty of sacrificing sleep in pursuit of other responsibilities. It’s not just athletes who fail to get enough sleep. Life is hectic and it’s hard to get everything done within the right amount of time available in a day.

I personally have been sleep-deprived for years. From college balancing schooling with a social life, to medical school, residency, etc. Now with work, training six days a week, this passion project of hosting this podcast, and trying to have a social life.

However, in the last few weeks, I have been trying to achieve at least seven hours of sleep every day. It is very hard because as mentioned earlier, trying to balance everything. . I can feel the difference between when I get a full night’s sleep versus when I am sleep deprevied.

Sleep is important, especially for an endurance athlete. Your body needs to recover from all the training and it can only do it while you sleep. Sleep is very important, not only for recovery but also warding off cravings, boosting the body’s immunity and mood balance. Several scientific studies on different categories of athletes have shown definitive improvement in athletic performance with adequate sleep.

Episode Highlights:

Affirmation of the importance of sleep
My own history of sleep deprivation
Why sleep is important and what happens to your body when you deprive it of sleep.
Some notable studies on athletes regarding performance and sleep
Some tips on ensuring you get sufficient sleep