Catch-Up Sleep

For years, the idea of “catch-up sleep”—getting fewer than eight hours of shut-eye a night during weekdays and then sleeping in on weekends—was considered worthless for maintaining optimal sleep hygiene. However, a new study published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology shows that extended bouts of weekend slum-ber can benefit key physique-related hormones. In the experiment, 19 men with six months of life-style-driven weekday sleep deprivation (approximately six hours of sleep a night) slept for 10 hours on three consecutive weekend nights. After the sustained bouts of slumber, all subjects experienced lower levels of insulin, greater insulin sensitivity, and higher testosterone levels. Since sleep is known to be an important part of the metabolic and hormonal process of building muscle, get it where and when you can. IM