How much muscle growth are you missing out on by not getting enough sleep? In today’s episode, we discuss a new scientific review exploring how sleep affects your hormones, muscle protein synthesis, recovery, and ability to train hard.
The evidence suggests that poor sleep makes it harder to build muscle. But despite everything we know about the importance of sleep, there’s surprisingly little direct research showing how much muscle growth you actually lose by not getting enough of it. We dig into what the science tells us, what remains uncertain, and how much you should worry about the occasional bad night’s sleep.
We also answer a listener question about barbell rows versus Pendlay rows, and take a closer look at Madcow 5×5, a classic strength program for lifters who’ve moved beyond the beginner stage.
Timestamps:
- 00:00 – Opening banter
- 02:45 – Study review: Are you sleeping on muscle growth?
- 27:15 – Listener question: Barbell rows or Pendlay rows for Madcow 5×5?
- 34:45 – Program of the week: Madcow 5×5
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This is episode 131 of the podcast. Check out the five previous episodes below:
- Episode 130: Same Sets, More Workouts, Better Gains?
- Episode 129: How Much Should You Eat on a Bulk?
- Episode 128: Big Pecs, Big Bench?
- Episode 127: Do Muscles Compete for Growth?
- Episode 126: How Many Calories Does It Take to Build a Kilogram of Muscle?
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Further Reading
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