Proper training for climbing involves hard workouts interspersed with enough rest days and good nights of sleep to encourage optimal muscle recovery. Too often, rock climbers get so caught up in rock climbing training that they succumb to a lack of sleep and/or not enough rest days to allow for decent sports recovery. Learn why it’s so important to reap the benefits of sleep and the benefits of rest.
The Benefits of Rest: Taking Rest Days
Do not climb when sore. Do not work out muscles that are already sore. They are sore because they need time to repair and recover from the previous workout. Climbers have to learn to listen to their bodies and judge for themselves when it’s time to take one, two, or even three days off for optimal muscle recovery. It’s better to climb well and recovered than to waste time climbing on half-recovered muscles.
Be careful not to fall into the common overtraining trap of equating diminishing climbing performance and returns from hard training sessions with a need to work out even harder and/or more frequently. Oftentimes, consistently diminishing performances actually indicate overtraining and a need for more rest days. Continue to push it, and run the risk of unwanted weeks or months off do to overuse injuries.
The Benefits of Sleep: Aim for Good Sleep, Every Night
Good sleep should be a top weapon in every athlete’s arsenal. The benefits of sleep in sports recovery should not be underestimated. Getting enough sleep allows the body the time needed to repair itself after a hard day of rock climbing training. Sleep is absolutely essential to muscle recovery, as the body’s cells produce more protein when it’s sleeping, allowing for necessary tissue repairs to happen.
It is best if a person can fall asleep and wake up in a natural rhythm, instead of going to bed late and waking up to an alarm. This way, the body gets to decide how much sleep is enough on any given night. A body tired from hard rock climbing training should get a minimum of eight hours of solid sleep every night in order to optimize muscle recovery.
More Benefits of Sleep: Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Production
The body releases its biggest burst of human growth hormone during sleep. At least eight hours of sleep is recommended for optimal HGH secretion. A key hormone, HGH plays a pivotal role in repairing tissue by promoting protein formation. HGH production also impacts a person’s overall longevity, as well as encouraging lean muscle mass, among other functions. This crucial hormone decreases naturally after age 30, but steps can be taken to enhance the body’s natural production of human growth hormone — including a good sleep, every night.
Improve Climbing with Improved Muscle Recovery
Don’t sabotage the effort put into hard rock climbing training with a lack of sleep or rest days. Don’t bother training for climbing with sore muscles. Don’t be afraid to take two or even three rest days after hard training for climbing. Encourage greater muscle recovery by aiming for a good sleep every night. Improve climbing and sports recovery by encouraging the body’s natural HGH production, another benefit of sleep.
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