Heart and Sleep Print E-mail



When increasing muscle mass is the goal, ectomorphs and cardiovascular/aerobic training are about as good a fit as Jessica Simpson and Albert Einstein. When you're all ramped up on NEAT and, as a result, fidget like the Tasmanian devil on speed, the last thing you need to do is burn up precious calories you could be using for muscle building. But don't forget, your heart is the single most important muscle in your body. So what are you to do?

Well, the heart doesn't need as much work as most people think. So the addition of a little bit of cardiovascular/aerobic work is okay as long as you eat enough food to cover the added energy expenditure. After all, the amount of "cardio" isn't much. It's not as if you're running repeated 10-K races. If you do, then you can probably forget about putting any serious strain on those shirtsleeves.

If you're really serious about building up your body, getting enough sleep is going to have to be right up near the top of your priority list. Although there hasn't been much investigation into the negative effects of sleep deprivation on strength performance, at least one study demonstrated impaired motor ability and decreases in anaerobic (sprint-type) performance due to a lack of sleep.

Missing out on sleep also creates a physiological stress that is amplified when training intensely. Don't sleep enough when training heavily, and the central nervous system won't be too happy. You'll get that "tired but wired" feeling characteristic of being overworked. However, it's usually not overwork that creates the problem; it's under-rest. Unfortunately, this is usually also accompanied by a decrease in immune function. Seeing as how you can't train when you're sick, do yourself a favor, and make sure you get enough shut-eye.

Most experts suggest 8 hours per night, but sleep requirements are highly individual. We suggest getting anywhere from 6 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Your body will give you clues about whether you're getting too much or not enough.


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