Flex 2018-03-01 Flex Magazine | Page 130

DEEP SLEEP SLEEP IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BODYBUILDING (AND HEALTH) FACTOR THAT YOU’RE PROBABLY NEGLECTING. BY GREG MERRITT We spend one-third of our lives doing it—or at least we should. Sleep bolsters our immune system, and a deficit of it has been linked to such catastrophic health consequences as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart failure. It’s crucial for proper brain functioning, enhancing our ability to learn, memorize, and decide. As we’ll explore, it’s also of paramount importance to bodybuilding, affecting everything from strength and testosterone to pain sensitivity. Yet sleep is something you’re probably not getting enough of to optimize your body, inside and out. 128 | MARCH ’18