Effects of Sleep Duration on Strength, Muscle Growth and Weight Loss

Have you noticed a plateau in your training or weight loss? This may be due to a lack of sleep. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 3 adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep daily.

In a study by Nedeltcheva, Arlet V et al., two groups were placed into an identical calorie deficit where one group slept 5.5 hours per night and the other slept 8.5 hours. Both groups lost the same amount of weight. However, the 5.5-hour group lost 55% less fat than the 8.5-hour group. Additionally, the 8.5-hour group preserved 60% more muscle than the 5.5-hour group. This study shows that sleep duration is essential for growing and maintaining muscle and losing fat in a calorie deficit.

In another study by Chen Y et al., “a positive association between sleep quality and muscle strength was observed in both male and female students” was observed. Specifically, men who slept less than 6 hours had significantly less strength and muscle than those who slept 7+ hours. Notably, there was also “no significant difference in the association of sleep duration and muscle strength between men who slept 7-8 hours and those who slept for more than 8 hours.”

Conclusion

These studies show the correlation between duration of sleep and muscle mass and strength. With these findings in mind, try to aim for more than 7 hours of sleep per night to maximize body composition through increases in muscle, strength, and fat loss.

Sources

Nedeltcheva, Arlet V et al. “Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity.” Annals of internal medicine vol. 153,7 (2010): 435-41. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-153-7-201010050-00006

Chen, Y et al. “Relationship between sleep and muscle strength among Chinese university students: a cross-sectional study.” Journal of musculoskeletal & neuronal interactions vol. 17,4 (2017): 327-333.