Extra Sleep or Extra cardio that is the question??

[First6]

We all know how important getting enough sleep is. Even when it comes to losing weight. That being said Most of us have very busy lives and sometimes don't have the time to get the workout in that we want and need.
Say your serious about cutting and you want to do as much cardio as you can. What is more important for your body - Getting the sleep you need or sacrificing 1 or 1.5 hours a night to get that extra cardio session in? Is the extra cardio going to benefit you that much if your robbing your body of precious sleep?

Let's say we are talking about 4 days a week and the dif between 8hrs and 6.5 or 7hrs just to lend some common ground to the answers.

Weigh in guys!
Hit up the poll and post your opinions/reasearch/common sense/etc....

[bigcwithane]

I don't think the 1.5 hours is gonna hurt when I do am cardio I lose a sleep too. But I just try to get a mid day nap in-between classes

[gbrice75]

Great topic for debate First. It's of particular interest to me because I face this very challenge. I can only workout and/or do cardio first thing in the morning, so regardless it's going to be very early for me. I get 6 hours of sleep per night, MAX. It sucks but it's a reality I have to deal with. No doubt it's hindered my gains. However, I think it all comes down to your goals and what is most important on an individual basis.

A) You opt to do cardio, but lose sleep that could potentially help with gains - probably the better option for somebody focused on losing bodyfat. Consider it part of a plan that will change down the road, when cardio becomes less of a focus and adding muscle is the primary goal.

B) Drop cardio and get more sleep. Only an option for people who really don't gain bodyfat (Twist), or who don't mind gaining a bit of bodyfat while they are trying to add mass. I would never recommend this option to somebody trying to cut; cardio is just as important as lifting in that case.

[First6]

I don't think the 1.5 hours is gonna hurt when I do am cardio I lose a sleep too. But I just try to get a mid day nap in-between classes

Mid day nap.... never heard of it. lol In the office all day, get home late, need to entertain the wife and little ones, maintain the house and cars, check something off the "honey do" list,etc, etc,,, nope no mid day nap for me. lol

Great topic for debate First. It's of particular interest to me because I face this very challenge. I can only workout and/or do cardio first thing in the morning, so regardless it's going to be very early for me. I get 6 hours of sleep per night, MAX. It sucks but it's a reality I have to deal with. No doubt it's hindered my gains. However, I think it all comes down to your goals and what is most important on an individual basis.

A) You opt to do cardio, but lose sleep that could potentially help with gains - probably the better option for somebody focused on losing bodyfat. Consider it part of a plan that will change down the road, when cardio becomes less of a focus and adding muscle is the primary goal.

B) Drop cardio and get more sleep. Only an option for people who really don't gain bodyfat (Twist), or who don't mind gaining a bit of bodyfat while they are trying to add mass. I would never recommend this option to somebody trying to cut; cardio is just as important as lifting in that case.

GB you make some good points. I tend to agree.... I think. Let's play the other side though.... doesn't research show that getting enough sleep is very important to weight loss? So if that is true would the extra cardio benefit outweigh the detriment of a shortage of sleep? hmmm.

[MACHINE5150]

The other option is getting something like Ambient or GHB which increasess the intesity of the sleep you do get, therefore giving you better recovery in less time.. With GHB you can get 6 hours of sleep in 3 hours.. do it back to back and you got 12 hours sleep in 6 hours.. If you incerase quality of sleep, then you can afford to cut back the actual time spent in bed, and therefore will not have to make a decision between one or the other.

[SlimmerMe]

if sleep promotes natural pulse of growth hormone production then.....maybe sleep? since a higher gh promotes better bf reduction...
I have been cardio forever and ever ED for years/....I am going to try the "sleep it off" program and see if that works!

[gbrice75]

Mid day nap.... never heard of it. lol In the office all day, get home late, need to entertain the wife and little ones, maintain the house and cars, check something off the "honey do" list,etc, etc,,, nope no mid day nap for me. lol


GB you make some good points. I tend to agree.... I think. Let's play the other side though.... doesn't research show that getting enough sleep is very important to weight loss? So if that is true would the extra cardio benefit outweigh the detriment of a shortage of sleep? hmmm.

Yes, but you're not going to maximize fat loss without doing cardio. I think cardio wins where fat loss is the primary goal. If cardio is an option any other time but in the morning, then of course i'd say sleep the extra hour or whatever, and do cardio later in the day. But I don't think that's what you're asking...

The other option is getting something like Ambient or GHB which increasess the intesity of the sleep you do get, therefore giving you better recovery in less time.. With GHB you can get 6 hours of sleep in 3 hours.. do it back to back and you got 12 hours sleep in 6 hours.. If you incerase quality of sleep, then you can afford to cut back the actual time spent in bed, and therefore will not have to make a decision between one or the other.

Is there a study that proves the deeper your sleep, the faster you recover? I agree that if you lay there half the night tossing and turning, you are not getting quality sleep and therefore hindering gains. However, if you're asleep, you're asleep. I don't know that being in a DEEP sleep, or being 'zombified' as Ambien can do to some people will help you recover any faster.

I'm not disagreeing, I don't know either way. I'd like to see some evidence though.

[First6]

Yes, but you're not going to maximize fat loss without doing cardio. I think cardio wins where fat loss is the primary goal. If cardio is an option any other time but in the morning, then of course i'd say sleep the extra hour or whatever, and do cardio later in the day. But I don't think that's what you're asking...
Agree with this statement! And it is what I personally choose to do. As do you if I recall correctly. I was just playing "devils advocate" for the sake of the discussion/debate.


Is there a study that proves the deeper your sleep, the faster you recover? I agree that if you lay there half the night tossing and turning, you are not getting quality sleep and therefore hindering gains. However, if you're asleep, you're asleep. I don't know that being in a DEEP sleep, or being 'zombified' as Ambien can do to some people will help you recover any faster.

I'm not disagreeing, I don't know either way. I'd like to see some evidence though.

Yeah I don't think sleep aids is something I personally am interested in.

[Twist]

Ambien does the opposite actually, so don't use that. I have heard good things about GHB but never seen a study and don't really care because I would not recommend anyone to drug themselves unless they truly have some sort of sleeping disorder.

People who get 6.5 hours of sleep live longer than people who get 8 or more hours of sleep. That is a correlation study so it might not mean shit.


I would say cardio.

[gbrice75]

People who get 6.5 hours of sleep live longer than people who get 8 or more hours of sleep

I recently saw something about this as well... interesting. I should live to be 100!

[baseline_9]

Cardio for sure

I doubt loosing 1.5hrs of sleep will effect GH release too much as you will have already reachd a deep sleep within a few hrs

Can anyone produce a case study that shows 8hrs sleep is actually better than 6.5??

I would like to bet that the whole "u must get 8hrs of sleep" thing is parroted info

If more is better then why do i feel sh1t if i get more than 8hrs sleep?