18 menshealth.com.au
THE NIGHT OWLSamongus will not
want to hear this, but most
Australians are declaring “lights out”
too late. Hey, we sympathise: tearing
yourself away from the soothing
effects of a Netflix binge is a rigorous
test of a man’s self-discipline. But
according to new research, setting
yourself a 10.30pm bedtime is the
simplest way to score a substantial
hit of human growth hormone to
build more muscle as you snooze.
Your endocrine system – your
body’s way of sending messages
using hormones – is closely linked to
your circadian rhythm. A paper
published in theJournal of Clinical
Investigationfound that you are
flooded with HGH at around 11pm,02
HOURS TO BURN
FAT AND BUILD
STRENGTH WITH
YOUR EYES SHUT
TO BUILD A BETTER
BODY, YOU NEED TO
HIT THE SACK.with a smaller influx at around 2am.
These timings were developed over
millennia and they’re not likely to
change to accommodate your
Ozark obsession. So, a later lights-out
is depriving you of a massive natural
injection of a hormone that one study
in the New England Journal of
Medicine showed can produce a
significant gain in muscle mass and
give fat loss an impressive boost.
If you find it hard to nod off an hour
or two earlier than usual, a simple
change in your habits could help. Avoid
caffeine after 2pm, and read a book in
bed until your eyelids get heavy. The
important thing is to stick with it. Think
of it as the second part of your workout,
if you like. Just a lot less strenous.