1 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: There's no sleeping. 2 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 2: I think that's usually the first question I get is 3 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 2: do you get to sleep during ultra durance running events? 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 2: And I'm like, no, not. If you're trying to finish 5 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 2: within the time limit, you run through the night. 6 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 3: Eo Wang is a competitive runner currently training to compete 7 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 3: this fall in the JFK fifty mile ultra Marathon. The 8 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 3: race route spans over one thousand feet in elevation along 9 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 3: a mountainous and rocky section of the Appalachian Trail. It 10 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 3: horseshoes along the Cno Canal Towpath before ending in historic 11 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 3: Williamsport on the border of Maryland and West Virginia. You 12 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 3: know the best way. 13 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 2: To warm up start running. 14 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:52,919 Speaker 3: While the varied terrain of this course makes for an 15 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 3: intense and arduous race, fifty miles is not the longest 16 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 3: distance for an ultra marathon, nor is it the longest 17 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 3: raised Eo has ever competed in. But running long distances 18 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 3: is just part of the training program. These ultra endurance 19 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 3: athletes have to think about the whole picture. When you're 20 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 3: pushing your body to the max, you've got to think 21 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 3: about physical endurance, mental strength, nutrition, and most importantly sleep 22 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 3: in order for EO and runners like her to keep 23 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 3: going mile after mile, Sleep must be a part of 24 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 3: a winning plan. 25 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 2: It can be almost four miles to go all the 26 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 2: way to the top of the hill to our little 27 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 2: single attack book and come back. 28 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 3: I'm Anahad O'Connor and this is Chasing Sleep and iHeartRadio 29 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 3: production in partnership with Mattress Firm. As a best selling 30 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 3: author and a health columnist with the background in psychology, 31 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 3: I've spent a lot of my time studying and writing 32 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 3: about sleep. Sleep is so essential to our overall health, 33 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 3: but often it's something we overlook, and it's the first 34 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 3: thing we tend to neglect. In each episod, we'll meet 35 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 3: people living and working in extraordinary circumstances. I want to 36 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 3: learn how they rest and recharge their bodies and minds 37 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 3: to perform at their best, whether it's an ultra marathon 38 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 3: or training for their next one hundred miles, or an 39 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 3: astronaut floating in space. Together, we'll explore the unique challenges 40 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 3: they encounter and uncover the universal secrets to a RESTful 41 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 3: night of sleep, no matter the environment or occupational hazards. Today, 42 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 3: we'll look at the roles sleep plays and training for intents, 43 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:35,079 Speaker 3: endurance competitions, and the symbiotic relationship between sleep and physical fitness. 44 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 3: Plus we'll discover which is more important an early morning 45 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 3: workout or an extra hour of sleep. 46 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 2: My name is Eo Wang. I'm a professional trail and ultrarunner, 47 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:56,079 Speaker 2: and I'm also a. 48 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: Teacher throughout the summer. 49 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,360 Speaker 3: Eos darts the day with a cup of coffee and 50 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 3: then heads out to the trails for a run. And 51 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,519 Speaker 3: she's not the only one. According to a twenty twenty 52 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 3: report from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, about fifty 53 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 3: million Americans take part in running or jogging. 54 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: After competing in both the twenty twelve and twenty twenty. 55 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 3: Olympic Marathon trials, Eo now has her sights on becoming 56 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 3: one of the top ten women in a globally recognized 57 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,640 Speaker 3: ultra marathon. She has already won the Lake Sonoma fifty 58 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 3: mile race in twenty sixteen and twenty seventeen. But people 59 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 3: aren't born ultra marathoners, and she wasn't even always a runner. 60 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: It took her some time to find her rhythm in 61 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: the sport. 62 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 2: I started running when I went to college at MIT, 63 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 2: and I spectated my first Boston Marathon as a freshman, 64 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 2: I got so inspired by what I was seeing happening 65 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 2: in front of me. I was not a runner at 66 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 2: the time. I did not think of myself as being 67 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: athletic in any way, so it was kind of a 68 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 2: personal quest and challenge to work on doing sports. And 69 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 2: I kind of just got hooked on the process of 70 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 2: trying to run a bit longer each day. And this 71 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 2: idea that you know, working towards a running goal means 72 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 2: you have to be consistent and train and develop fitness 73 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 2: over time. So I remember training for my first five k, 74 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 2: and then once I got the five k under my belt, 75 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 2: moving to longer and longer distances, eventually a half marathon 76 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,679 Speaker 2: and then a full marathon. And I just kept going 77 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 2: back for a few years doing Boston, setting goals for 78 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 2: myself of trying to run a little. 79 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 3: Bit faster each year. 80 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 2: I ran fast enough to qualify for the trials in 81 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 2: twenty twelve in the marathon. I've run a lot of 82 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,600 Speaker 2: fifty k, fifty milers, and one hundred milers since then. 83 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 3: Wait, did you just say one hundred miles. 84 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's a one hundred mile race called the Western 85 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 2: States hundred miler, which claims to be the oldest hundred 86 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 2: miler around. Some people might dispute that, but I think 87 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 2: officially on record, it is the oldest organized hundred miler. 88 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 2: It's a race that starts in Squaw and ends in Auburn, California, 89 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 2: and it just attracts a very competitive field each year 90 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 2: and has worked its way to being one of the 91 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 2: marquee ultra endurance running events. 92 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 3: Her average finished time for one hundred mile race is 93 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 3: around twenty two hours, and she's running straight through that 94 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 3: entire time, no sleeping, just running for twenty two hours. 95 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 3: Think about your day yesterday and now imagine if you 96 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 3: were on your feet running almost every single minute of it. 97 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 3: If you're wondering how it's even humanly possible to do this, 98 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 3: trust me, I'm right there with you. 99 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: So how exactly do you manage to keep going and 100 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 1: stay awake through it all? 101 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:15,039 Speaker 2: Yeah? So the human body is a remarkable thing. You know. 102 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 2: Think about the times when you've had to stay up 103 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 2: really late, if it's really important or really exciting, or like, 104 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 2: you know, you're stuck at a layover on an airport, 105 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,479 Speaker 2: and you amaze yourself by how many hours you can 106 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 2: stay up without going to sleep. It's kind of the 107 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:32,480 Speaker 2: same thing because you're running on like so much adrenaline 108 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 2: and like crazy stress hormones and like this fight or 109 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 2: flight response, and that carries you through for a remarkably 110 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 2: long time, for very long events. Right afterwards, there is 111 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 2: a point at which you tend to crash. I would 112 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 2: say it takes me of solid forty eight hours to 113 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 2: come down and like crash. And it's really day two 114 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 2: through seven after the race is when I can't move. 115 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 2: I'm just gonna lay in bed all day or I 116 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 2: want to Anyway. 117 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 3: As someone who loves to dig into the science and 118 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 3: research of how our bodies work, EO's training plan and 119 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 3: her approach to sleep got me thinking what role does 120 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 3: sleep actually play in our physical performance and how can 121 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 3: we use sleep as a training tool for strength and 122 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 3: endurance competitions. I decided to call up neurophysiologist and brain 123 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 3: coach to elite athletes, Louisa Nicola. Not only is Louisa 124 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 3: an expert on sleep as it relates to athletic performance, 125 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 3: but she was also once a triathlete who competed at 126 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 3: some of the highest levels. 127 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 4: Hi, I'm Louisa Nicola. I'm a neurophysiologist and brain coach 128 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 4: to elite performers. I raised for Australia, I qualified for 129 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 4: Beijing and London, and I also went to med school 130 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 4: and I became obsessed with human brain and I realized 131 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 4: that during my training spoke to me about sleep. In fact, 132 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 4: he was really against sleep. He basically said, you should 133 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 4: be training and you sleep when you're dead. And I 134 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 4: think a lot of people were thinking that. And this 135 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 4: was going back, you know, before twenty twelve, which is 136 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 4: when I retired from triathlon, and I always felt as 137 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 4: though there had to be more to human performance. There 138 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 4: had to be more to performance on the field and 139 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 4: athletic performance than just training, training the body and training 140 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 4: the tactics and technical side. There had to be more, 141 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 4: and that's when I became obsessed with understanding human physiology. 142 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 3: She founded her company Neuroathletics in twenty sixteen and dedicated 143 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 3: herself to combining the science of neurology with athletic performance. 144 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 3: Luisa knows all about the importance of sleep for elite 145 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 3: athletes like EO, and explains that sleep will shift and 146 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 3: change depending on where someone is in her training. According 147 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 3: to her, there will be training periods whereas much as 148 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,080 Speaker 3: twelve hours of sleep is completely normal. 149 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 4: So sleep should change throughout your training schedule. So when 150 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 4: we look at periodization, Okay, you've got a block of 151 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 4: where you're just doing a lot of build work, which 152 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 4: is you're just building on endurance and you're doing a 153 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 4: lot and a lot of long distance and hard hard work. 154 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 4: This means that the body, both the body and the brain, 155 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 4: needs a lot more time to recuperate and regenerate, so sleeping. 156 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 4: If I knew this back then, we'd need to adjust 157 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 4: our sleep schedules to be sleeping if we can a 158 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 4: bit longer, okay, Whereas if we are doing short bouts 159 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 4: of intense work, our sleep may not have to be 160 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 4: as long. If you think of Roger Federer or Lebron James, 161 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:51,560 Speaker 4: they are both renowned for sleeping twelve hours a night, 162 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,960 Speaker 4: But when you couple this with the amount of training 163 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 4: that they do, it makes sense that they're sleeping because 164 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 4: they're working out anywhere from four to five hours a day, 165 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 4: so it makes sense. However, they don't sleep twelve hours 166 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 4: a night during their competition phases because they're not training, 167 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 4: they're just competing. So Basically, the general rule is the 168 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 4: more activity exerted during the day, the longer and better 169 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 4: quality the sleep needs to be. 170 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:24,439 Speaker 3: So if a professional basketball player is sleeping twelve hours 171 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 3: a night, training for four to five hours a day, 172 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 3: and that's their full time job, what does training and 173 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 3: recovery look like for EO who's competing to run fifty 174 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 3: plus miles and working as an elementary school teacher during 175 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:41,079 Speaker 3: the day. 176 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 2: I think most of my running is constrained by work hours. Currently, 177 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 2: my ideal schedule would be sleeping till like seven and 178 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:54,839 Speaker 2: then wake up, have coffee, roll out for run around 179 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 2: eight thirty and nine, be done around brunch time, have 180 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 2: an afternoon nap, maybe do an evening walk for like 181 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 2: active recovery or a double session. That's the dream of 182 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:10,960 Speaker 2: like the absolute pro runner lifestyle. But during the school year, 183 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:13,440 Speaker 2: I have to be at school at eight am, which 184 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 2: makes morning runs challenging, and that means I have to 185 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 2: get up at five am and get out running by 186 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 2: six am, be done by seven seven thirty, and then 187 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 2: get to school. I just become completely wiped out by 188 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:32,719 Speaker 2: like ten am, and you're like, there's still four more 189 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 2: hours of school. So these days I tend to be 190 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 2: a little bit gentler on myself as far as when 191 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 2: I fit the run in. I know always that like 192 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 2: if I try to get up in the morning and 193 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 2: do it, I might be able to run a little 194 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 2: bit faster or get a bit more quality run in 195 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 2: the morning, but that means I am sacrificing my sleep, 196 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 2: because no matter how hard you try, it's really hard 197 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:03,439 Speaker 2: to go to bed at nine, so you can get 198 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 2: up at five. I think what's key to preparing for 199 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 2: an ultra is this idea of training specific systems, kind 200 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:17,439 Speaker 2: of a time on feet approach, where you go into 201 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 2: some of your long runs already tired from the week 202 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 2: of training that you did. I like to have at 203 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 2: least a couple weekends where I am running at least 204 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 2: three hours Saturday and Sunday back to back, and one 205 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 2: of those might actually have faster efforts, harder efforts in there, 206 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 2: so that you get used to running hard when you're tired. 207 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 2: And it's kind of about fatigue management because there's a 208 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 2: lot of things that you can get away with when 209 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 2: you're running and racing for two and a half to 210 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 2: three hours versus like four to seven hours. 211 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 3: So EO very strategically spends about two to three hours 212 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 3: a day training and working to mimic the fatigue she experience. 213 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:02,720 Speaker 3: Isn't a race, and we know some of her races 214 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 3: keep her awake for at least twenty four hours, but 215 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 3: what does she think about sleep during training periods? 216 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 2: It's essential in order to not get injured and not 217 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 2: burn out. Sleep is a great indicator of your overall 218 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 2: well being and also usually one of the first signs 219 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 2: of overtraining is a noticeable decline in sleep quality and quantity. 220 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 2: So you fall into this vicious cycle where you are fatigued, 221 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 2: but your body is so hyped up on the stress 222 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 2: hormones that you can't actually get enough sleep. And so 223 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 2: one of the early signs that we need to be 224 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 2: careful of is like, if we notice that we're consistently 225 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:55,079 Speaker 2: sleeping poorly, it's definitely a sign that we're on the 226 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 2: road to getting overtrained, which is this chronic state of 227 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:07,480 Speaker 2: lack of recovery for your body when you are pushing 228 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 2: your body through the hardest weeks of training. A lot 229 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 2: of times we as athletes want to know what's the 230 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 2: secret to performance, and a lot of times the answer 231 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 2: is just get more rest and get more recovery, Like 232 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 2: ninety percent of your gains can be made if you 233 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 2: just sleep more. 234 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 3: We know that sleep plays a major role in keeping 235 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 3: our bodies healthy and free of injuries during intense training 236 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 3: and competition, but can it help us run faster or further? 237 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 4: As a ne're a physiologist, we had to go in 238 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 4: and do a lot of sleep studies. So we'd go 239 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:50,240 Speaker 4: into a lab and we'd assess apation maybe if they're 240 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 4: having any type of sleep disturbances. So it gives you 241 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 4: a real life picture of what sleep is, and it's 242 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 4: very much comprised of more than just putting your head 243 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 4: on appeal and waking up eight hours later if you're lucky. 244 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 4: It's very intricate and it houses a lot of physiology. 245 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 4: So we have four stages of sleep, and each stage 246 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 4: is very important. We've really got two main stages, which 247 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 4: is rem sleep and non rem sleep. But when we 248 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 4: have a look into these two stages, okay, when we 249 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 4: look at this non rem sleep stage, we have light 250 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 4: sleep and deep sleep, and this deep sleep stage it's 251 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 4: really stages three and four, so it happens towards the 252 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 4: end of the night. 253 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: This deep sleep stage. 254 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 4: Is really responsible for the secretion of a lot of 255 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:39,920 Speaker 4: hormones such as our growth hormone, and this is responsible 256 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 4: for regeneration of muscle tissue. Muscle protein synthesis happens during 257 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 4: the stage, so we get a more well rounded recovery. 258 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 4: We see a lot of players during the NBA playoffs, 259 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 4: for example, not being able to recover and a lot 260 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 4: of them getting sick because they have been deprived of sleep. 261 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 4: When it comes to ball sports such as the NBA, 262 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 4: we see that shooting accuracy isn't as high if you've 263 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 4: deprived a player of sleep, even at a mere two hours. 264 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 4: So if they've slept six hours compared to eight hours, 265 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 4: their shooting accuracy is down by at least thirty percent, 266 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 4: and that is huge because every single point matters. So 267 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 4: if you're taking a marathon runner, for example, and you've 268 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 4: deprived them of sleep, they're going to be more prone 269 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 4: to injury, they're going to be more fatigued, and in fact, 270 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 4: their rate of perceived exertion is not going to be 271 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 4: as high. There's one wonderful study that was done actually 272 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 4: on sleep deprivation and endurance athletes show that the first 273 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 4: thing that happens is their ability to keep pushing is dampened. 274 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 4: So if they can usually run ten miles, let's just 275 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 4: say at ease, if they've deprived themselves of sleep, they're 276 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 4: probably going to get to maybe the six or seven miles, 277 00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 4: and their mind is going to start playing games and 278 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 4: start saying, oh my god, I'm tired, I'm fatigued, I 279 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 4: don't want to go that far. You don't have to 280 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 4: go that far, just stop, just go a bit slower. 281 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 4: And it's those mind games. And so that's incredibly important too. 282 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 4: And I realized that, Wow, if I only optimized my 283 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 4: sleep back when I was an elite athlete, or back 284 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 4: when I was training over thirty hours a week, and 285 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 4: if I had understood this, understood the science behind sleep, 286 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:26,920 Speaker 4: then I probably would have been a better athlete. I 287 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 4: probably my last race, I came thirteenth, and I think 288 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:33,919 Speaker 4: that if I knew what I knew back then like 289 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 4: what I know today, then maybe I would have come 290 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 4: on a podium, finished top three. 291 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:43,399 Speaker 3: We'll be right back after a brief message from our 292 00:17:43,400 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 3: partners at Mattress Firm. 293 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 1: And now back to chasing sleep. 294 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:01,200 Speaker 3: Now. I'm certainly no elite runner in some five k's 295 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 3: and one or two ten K's two, and I generally 296 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 3: try to keep up an exercise routine. But learning about 297 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,879 Speaker 3: all of the science that goes into sleep for training 298 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 3: athletes has me thinking a lot about my own workouts 299 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:17,119 Speaker 3: and sleep habits. Sleep matters to our performance physically in 300 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 3: a race or at the gym. It's undeniable, But is 301 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,640 Speaker 3: that the end of the relationship between sleep and athletic prowess? 302 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:26,439 Speaker 3: In addition to all of this, is it possible that 303 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:29,359 Speaker 3: I'm also sleeping better because I'm keeping up a regular 304 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 3: exercise routine too. 305 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:33,919 Speaker 4: We've all got this one thing humans in common. It's 306 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,280 Speaker 4: called our human nervous system. Okay, It's comprised of the 307 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:40,080 Speaker 4: central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. And what 308 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 4: happens is we want to be in both the sympathetic 309 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 4: nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. And training and 310 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:51,639 Speaker 4: exercising and physical activity is going to be good for 311 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 4: kudiovascular health, and it's going to be good for overall 312 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:58,480 Speaker 4: sleep quality. If we're not training, it's definitely not going 313 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 4: to be good for the amount of hours that we 314 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,880 Speaker 4: sleep at night. And there's also something called sleep pressure 315 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 4: that builds up during the day. And this happens with me. 316 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 4: I find that if I haven't exerted the amount of energy, 317 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 4: or I haven't gone out and gotten sunlight, I find 318 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:16,679 Speaker 4: it hard to fall asleep that night. I'm tossing, I'm turning. 319 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 4: It's like I haven't gotten rid of a lot of 320 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 4: the energy that I've got accumulated. So physical activity during 321 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:25,959 Speaker 4: the day of any type is very beneficial for sleep quality. 322 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:30,159 Speaker 3: Louisa says, we should also think about the time of 323 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:32,399 Speaker 3: day you're working out so that we can make the 324 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:33,680 Speaker 3: most of our sleep. 325 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: And avoid interrupting our hormonal rhythms. 326 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:40,120 Speaker 4: The best time for training is the furthest away from 327 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 4: sleep as you can get. So when we are training, 328 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,600 Speaker 4: when we wake up, we've got this surge of cortisol, okay, 329 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 4: and you really want to go out and you want 330 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:51,160 Speaker 4: to do things. And that's honestly the best time to train. 331 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:54,120 Speaker 4: Whether you're eating beforehand on alftand I'm not talking about that, 332 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:57,120 Speaker 4: but the best time to train is at least six 333 00:19:57,200 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 4: hours away from sleep, because what happens if you do 334 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 4: train close to sleep, you're going to have this increasing 335 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,359 Speaker 4: quartersol and as free quartersol just roaming through your body. 336 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:09,639 Speaker 4: This happens for the next two hours after exercise as well, 337 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:12,760 Speaker 4: and cortisole doesn't help you sleep. It competes with the 338 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:16,160 Speaker 4: sleepiness hormones. So this is going to prevent you from 339 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 4: kind of relaxing and settling your mind down and settling 340 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 4: your body down to get into sleep. So the best 341 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:25,919 Speaker 4: time to train for sleep quality would be in the 342 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 4: morning or mid morning. 343 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 3: And if you find yourself wavering between an extra hour 344 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 3: or so of sleep or getting up to hit the 345 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 3: trail or the gym some mornings, Luisa says, our heart 346 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 3: rate variability or HRV can be an important guide in 347 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 3: determining what our bodies need and what they're ready to 348 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:46,640 Speaker 3: handle at any moment. 349 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:51,600 Speaker 4: Should you sacrifice sleep and train or should you sacrifice 350 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 4: training and sleep? And a really good predictor of this 351 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,439 Speaker 4: is heart rate variability. Almost everybody now who is training 352 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 4: has access to a wearable and wearable data, and if 353 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:03,159 Speaker 4: you look on this wearable data, it comes up with 354 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:07,399 Speaker 4: this measurement every day and it's called a heart rate variability. Oftentimes, 355 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:09,400 Speaker 4: we can wake up every morning and we can feel 356 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 4: a bit lethargic, okay, and we may not feel good, 357 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 4: and you look at your HRV and maybe it's if 358 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 4: it's usually at let's just say for argument's sake, you 359 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:21,119 Speaker 4: peak at one hundred every day, but you woke up 360 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 4: today and it was fifty. That would mean that your 361 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 4: body isn't well rested and your recovery index isn't that high. Therefore, 362 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:33,879 Speaker 4: the best thing for you to do in terms of 363 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 4: long term athletic performance and in terms of overall health, 364 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 4: the best thing for you to do that day would 365 00:21:39,119 --> 00:21:43,400 Speaker 4: be to go really easy and capitalize on sleep. Whereas 366 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:46,360 Speaker 4: if you wake up and your HRV let's just say 367 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:48,200 Speaker 4: it's at one hundred, or maybe it's at one hundred 368 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:51,160 Speaker 4: and ten, and usually your baseline is one hundred, then 369 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:54,440 Speaker 4: you have room to go through and do a bit 370 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 4: of extra hard work that day. And HRV is a 371 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 4: really great predictor of overall performance recovery. So that's how 372 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:05,639 Speaker 4: I would judge them. So, if you're going out and 373 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:07,639 Speaker 4: you really want to learn about your body, you really 374 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:09,920 Speaker 4: want to learn about your own metrics and your own data, 375 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:11,879 Speaker 4: the best thing to do would be to have a 376 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:15,560 Speaker 4: look at your HLB and you know, predict it that way. 377 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 2: I think before the race it's important to not obsess 378 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:26,880 Speaker 2: about the night before, because it's really about your two 379 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,879 Speaker 2: to three nights before the night before. Because you know 380 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 2: we talked earlier about your body can go for twenty 381 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 2: four hours straight with no problem. So think about it 382 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 2: as like, say your race is Saturday, your Thursday night 383 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:43,639 Speaker 2: sleep is going to get you through even if you 384 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:47,480 Speaker 2: can't sleep Friday night. And a lot of people, myself included, 385 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 2: tend to not be able to sleep that well the 386 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:53,600 Speaker 2: night before because you're often doing your last minute preparation. 387 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 2: You're nervous, you're thinking about the morning, and the more 388 00:22:57,119 --> 00:22:59,439 Speaker 2: you think about sleep, the less you're able to sleep. 389 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:01,959 Speaker 2: You often have to get up early to you know, 390 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 2: get to the race and do all your pre race 391 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 2: stuff anyway, so it's really the two to three days 392 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:13,119 Speaker 2: before the night before the race that are key. 393 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:17,040 Speaker 3: Eo has spent the last several years fine tuning the 394 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 3: way she runs and sleeps to maximize what her body 395 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,680 Speaker 3: and mind can accomplish on race day, whether it's a 396 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 3: cup of coffee in the morning or a sleep. 397 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:28,480 Speaker 1: Cash that night. Eo says that consistency is key. 398 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:31,439 Speaker 3: For any level of running or fitness routine, even if 399 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:32,439 Speaker 3: you're just getting started. 400 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 2: I think my best piece of advice would just be 401 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:44,640 Speaker 2: to be consistent and establish a routine. It's not about 402 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,680 Speaker 2: doing as much as you can all at once right 403 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 2: at the start, because you will, you know, burn out. 404 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 2: I think it's about doing something every day and sticking 405 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 2: to that routine and also making sure that you don't 406 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:07,680 Speaker 2: sacrifice things like recovery, nutrition, and sleep. There are a 407 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:12,879 Speaker 2: lot of people who start a fitness journey and they're like, Oh, 408 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:15,040 Speaker 2: I'm going to go to the gym every day at 409 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 2: five am in the morning before work. Like, that's great 410 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,479 Speaker 2: if you're also able to get enough sleep to like 411 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:26,040 Speaker 2: support that kind of schedule. If it's going to be 412 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:29,199 Speaker 2: detrimental to you getting your sleep and you're going to 413 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,560 Speaker 2: be drinking ten cups of coffee every day, like maybe 414 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 2: kind of rethink where that can fit in your day, 415 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:39,920 Speaker 2: or maybe it slides in later in the day, maybe 416 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 2: it slides in the middle of the day. Sleep is 417 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:44,680 Speaker 2: really important. 418 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 1: That's all for this episode. 419 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:54,720 Speaker 3: Don't forget to join me again next week, when we 420 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:57,920 Speaker 3: learn about how a journalist chases and finds healthy sleep 421 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:00,880 Speaker 3: through breaking news and the type deadlines at the twenty 422 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:01,959 Speaker 3: four hour news cycle. 423 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:06,359 Speaker 5: Now you're trying to unplug from showtime mode, and you're 424 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 5: trying to tell your body worktime is over and now 425 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:10,879 Speaker 5: it's time to relax and unwind and go to sleep, 426 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,919 Speaker 5: and your body's still in go mode. 427 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 1: We want to hear from you. 428 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 3: Leave a rating or review for our show on your 429 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:20,159 Speaker 3: podcast player of choice. 430 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 1: You can find me on Twitter at Anahad O'Connor. 431 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:27,359 Speaker 3: Until next time, Hoping you're living your best while sleeping 432 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 3: your best. 433 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: Chasing Sleep is. 434 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:34,120 Speaker 3: A production of iHeartRadio in partnership with Mattress Firm. Our 435 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,639 Speaker 3: executive producer is Molly Sosha, our EP of post is 436 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 3: Matt Stillo, our producer is Sierra Kaiser, and this show 437 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:43,360 Speaker 3: is hosted by Annahad O'Connor