SLEEP IS RECOVERY TRAINING | STRETCHING TO WIN
A NEW STUDY HAS FOUND THAT SLEEP PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE MUSCLE HEALING PROCESS, AND THAT ATHLETES WHO DON'T GET ENOUGH REST ARE AT A HIGHER RISK FOR RE-INJURY.
When you suffer a muscle injury, the first thing you want to do is start feeling better. But in order to properly recover, it's important to get enough sleep. A new study has found that sleep plays a crucial role in the muscle healing process and that athletes who don't get enough rest are at a higher risk for re-injury.
The study, which was conducted at the University of Michigan, looked at a group of college football players who had suffered hamstring injuries. The researchers found that those who got more than eight hours of sleep per night were almost two times less likely to suffer another hamstring injury than those who slept fewer than eight hours.
"This is the first study to demonstrate that more nightly sleep is associated with a significantly reduced risk of suffering a subsequent muscle injury," said lead author Matt Schmitz, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. "There is convincing evidence from other studies that insufficient sleep can lead to impaired physical performance, but until now it was unclear if this also applied to the risk of being injured."
While the importance of sleep has long been understood when it comes to overall physical health and performance, this is one of the first studies to look at its specific benefits for muscle recovery. The findings suggest that athletes who don't get enough rest are not giving their bodies the time they need to properly heal, which puts them at a high risk for re-injury.
"If you're constantly getting injured, it's not just bad for your health—it also takes a toll on your performance and career," said Schmitz. "Our findings suggest that one way to reduce your risk of sustaining a muscle injury is to make sure you're getting enough sleep."
The researchers say more studies are needed to confirm their findings, but in the meantime, they advise athletes—especially those who are recovering from an injury—to make sure they're getting enough rest. "This is something athletes can control," said Schmitz. "You can't always control how hard you train or how well you warm up, but you can control how much you sleep."
Getting enough sleep is important for everyone, but it's especially crucial for athletes who are recovering from an injury. A new study has found that athletes who don't get enough rest are at a higher risk for re-injury, so it's important to make sure you're getting enough shut-eye if you want to avoid set-backs in your recovery process.
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