sleep and recovery

A study published in the Journal of Alternative Medicine shows promising benefits from the consumption of Goji juice.

increased ratings for energy level, athletic performance, quality of sleep, ease of awakening, ability to focus on activities, mental acuity, calmness, and feelings of health, contentment, and happiness

You can read the full abstract here, although note the study was sponsored by a producer of Goji berry products:

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi.

That’s the whole deal with being a professional athlete… being a full-time athlete isn’t about spending so many more hours training, it’s about spending loads more hours sleeping and resting.

South African ultra runner and adventure racer, Lisa de Speville, talks about the importance of sleep, rest and recovery.  Lisa has just completed the “Bull of Africa“, a 6 day race!

You can read the full article, rest is training, over on Lisa’s blog.

SpeedEndurance ran an interesting article that covered an athlete’s sleep needs. A little emotive, but it will have you sleeping like a baby to achieve those performance improvements.

How Much Sleep Do I Need? | SpeedEndurance.com.

Postura Health report that their Mammoth Elite Sports Mattress is being used to help a leading runner’s preparations for the Olympic Games:

For marathon runner Liz Yelling, the Mammoth Elite Sports Mattress proves to be an effective pain management solution as well as a vital element in her training programme.

mammoth » » Liz Yelling, Olympic marathon runner

Science Daily reports that:

Getting extra sleep over an extended period of time improves athletic performance, mood and alertness, according to a research abstract that will be presented on June 9 at the SLEEP 2008 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) in Baltimore, Md.

Extra Sleep Improves Athletic Performance.