The world of cycling is not just about intense training, long runs and good nutrition adapted and personalized to each case. Believe it or not, there are thousands of factors that go into performance.
Specifically, we are talking about rest and sleep, two crucial aspects that we often overlook, but that have a very significant impact on our physical condition.
In this article, we will discover why adequate rest and quality sleep are essential to achieve good fitness. In a complementary way, we will also treat some nutritional advice to be able to sleep better.
Sleep acts as a restorative process, since it helps to improve muscle recovery, in addition to intervening in the release of anabolic hormones that promote the correct assimilation of training.
On the other hand, we can also find other processes that will help us recover properly and build these adaptations induced by exercise, such as restoring the nervous system, reducing stress and consolidating memory. Although we may not believe it, all these events occur when we sleep.
Without adequate rest, we can experience fatigue, decreased performance, and an increased risk of injury. Not sleeping well leads to increased stress levels, which translates into a small increase in inflammatory processes.
Every day we would have to sleep a minimum of 7 hours. But it's not just about getting a few hours sleep, it's about the quality of sleep we get. A quality sleep allows us to go through the different stages of sleep, including deep and REM, where important memory recovery and consolidation processes take place. To improve the quality of sleep, it is essential to establish a regular sleep routine, create an environment that encourages sleep, and adopt relaxation practices before bed.
Every day we would have to sleep a minimum of 7 hours. But it's not just about getting a few hours sleep, it's about the quality of sleep we get. A quality sleep allows us to go through the different stages of sleep, including deep and REM, where important memory recovery and consolidation processes take place. To improve the quality of sleep, it is essential to establish a regular sleep routine, create an environment that encourages sleep, and adopt relaxation practices before bed.
In short, sleep is a basic pillar of performance. Without it, there is no recovery, nor the necessary adaptations, nor improvements in physical condition.
Controlling sleep levels and developing a routine to improve its quality should be a priority. Soon, we will talk about how to establish patterns and what to do to improve this sleep and rest more in less time.
