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Better sleep: How exercising affects your sleep

knowledge bettersleep

Freeletics makes you fitter than ever before – you already know this. But did you also know that Freeletics improves your sleep?

Your body temperature regulates your sleep

Vigorous exercising, just like doing Freeletics, supports a good sleep and night’s rest. Just try to avoid working out right before bedtime. Your body temperature increases during High Intensity Training and it stays higher for up to four hours. Afterwards however, it will drop to lower levels than if you had not exercised – and this decrease signals your body that it is time for sleep!

Release of growth hormones

As an athlete in particular, you can benefit from a good sleep in several ways.

Not only will your body recover from a hard workout session and process all stimuli of the day – it is your hormonal balance that gets jumpstarted during a good sleep. First, your body maximizes the production of anabolic hormones such as Testosterone and HGH (human growth hormone) at night which lets your muscles recover and grow.

Second, a good night’s rest up-regulates the satiety hormone Leptin and down-regulates the appetite-stimulating hormone Ghrelin. Therefore, food cravings are minimized. Furthermore, a good sleep has positive effects on your metabolism. It supports your glucose metabolism and your insulin sensitivity. This just means that dietary carbohydrates are properly broken down and used efficiently as an energy resource. In this way, carbs will be stored as what you want to have: Glycogen in your muscles instead of fat tissue.

But the relationship of sleep and training is interdependent. Improve your sleep and you will improve your progress! In our series about sleep you learn everything about a good night’s rest. On our blog you will find helpful tips on how to become a morning person and how to improve your sleep quality!