If you’re looking to build lean muscle and drop body fat, what you do after your workouts is just as important as what you do during your workouts. You need to provide your muscles with an overload stimulus during your workouts in order to stimulate new growth but it’s not in the gym where the change takes place. Breaking the muscle fibers down is just the first step. The rebuilding process occurs when you sleep. If you’re not getting enough sleep you can forget about seeing the pay-off for all your hard work in the gym.

It’s no secret that you have to train hard and eat clean to see a body transformation but rest and recovery plays an equally important role. Research has conclusively shown that recuperation is the factor with the most significant potential to help you reach a higher level of muscular size and strength.

What happens when you don’t get enough sleep…

When you don’t get enough sleep (7-8 hours) your body can stay in a constant catabolic state where your muscles won’t grow. The following list outlines what happens in your body when you don’t get adequate sleep and recovery following your workouts.

• Decreased growth hormone production
• Increased fat storage
• Elevated cortisol levels and muscle wasting
• Decreased immune function
• Decreased testosterone production
• Reduced thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) production
• Increased insulin sensitivity

As you can see a host of hormonal balances can be affected with not getting enough sleep. Fat loss and muscle growth are both controlled by the hormonal balances in your body. If you want to see lean muscle development you must swing the balances in your favor.

Tips for getting better sleep…

If you’re struggling getting in 7-8 hours of deep sleep nightly here are some helpful tips you can use.

• Set consistent times for going to bed and getting up, even on the weekends
• Avoid alcohol past dinner and caffeine past lunch
• Use your bed only for sleep, don’t watch TV in bed
• Take a warm shower or bath before bed
• Leave bed if awake for 15 minutes and attempt sleep once drowsy again
• Allow an “unwinding” period of one hour before bed
• Read or listen to relaxing music during your unwinding period
• Avoid work related activities that stimulate your brain before going to bed
• Drink bedtime teas before going to bed
• Use aromatherapy in your bedroom to help induce sleep
• Avoid eating carbohydrates two hours before going to bed

Supplements for improving muscle recovery…

There is now an overwhelming body of evidence that confirms that several natural supplements can help stimulate growth, repair muscle tissue, and increase fat burning during sleep. The following list represents some of the most researched products that have shown to help counteract the catabolic processes that hinder muscle growth.

Arginine
Best known for its ability to boost immunity, healing, and recovery, Arginine works by suppressing the activity of “somatostatin”- a hormone that works to halt growth hormone secretion.

Suggested dose: 3-5 grams before bedtime.

GABA
The amino acid gamma-aminobutyric acid helps regulate sleep cycles by impacting the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is the source of growth hormone secretion. Researchers at the First Medical Clinic, University of Milan, recently reported that GABA increased blood levels of growth hormone after 90 minutes of intake.

Suggested dose: 500 milligrams- 1 gram before bedtime.

Glutamine
Gluatamine is the most abundant amino acid found in the muscles and is a powerful recovery agent that boosts immunity. Research has shown that just 2 grams of glutamine is effective in raising growth hormone levels more than four times that of base levels versus a placebo.

Suggested dose: 2 grams before bedtime.

Melatonin
Melatonin helps induce sleep and the secretion of growth hormone. A recent study published in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition found impressive benefits of melatonin supplementation. Researchers looking at melatonin and heavy resistance training found that 5 milligrams at bedtime increased growth hormone levels while lowering somatostatin levels. Subjects in the test found an average decrease in fat levels by 14% and 9% increase in lean muscle development.

Suggested dose: 5 milligrams at bedtime.

Additional ways to stimulate growth hormone…

While the above supplements can help improve recovery and aid in the rebuilding process, there are some additional things you can do along the way.

• Consume four to six small meals a day to stabilize insulin secretion
• Maintain a balance of carbs, proteins, and fats with each meal
• Train in short, intense bursts with your resistance workouts
• Incorporate interval training with your cardio workouts 2-3 times a week
• Train major muscle groups with heavy resistance only one time per week
• Don’t train a major muscle group if it’s still sore from your last workout

As you can see sleep and recovery are essential if you want to see a change in your physique. There’s just no getting around the importance of proper recuperation in the muscle building process. Use the following tips to help you get better recovery and if sleep problems still exist seek the counsel of a medical professional that can help further examine any health issues.

Shane Doll is a Charleston certified personal trainer, fat loss expert, speaker and founder of Shaping Concepts Personal Training Studios. Learn more about how you can receive a free no-obligations trail of his Charleston personal training programs that includes a comprehensive fitness assessment and two sessions with a fitness professional.

Posted: Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 8:37 am

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