Increasing Athletic Intelligence: The Science Behind Human Sporting Potential "sleep Edition"

Watching elite athletes like Lionel Messi, LeBron James and Roger Federer is truly amazing, they literally transform sport into art before our very eyes, making everything look so simple and easy. However, the reality is, playing at the highest levels isn’t easy, what we don’t get to see is everything that goes into the making of these high level players that allows them to perform with such skill, grace and intelligence. Becoming world-class in sports comes with a price, it demands a life commitment, a total dedication and immersion into the sport. The endless hours of training on the court, in the pool, on the field or in the gym are the minimum requirements if you want to become really good, but even more is required if you want to maximize your potential. One of the secrets behind the success of top athlete’s is sleep, this may sound simple but proper sleep plays a major role in the development of the body and brain. Aside from hardwiring and retaining what you learned during the day, it has been shown that people who get enough sleep are three times more likely to solve complex problems compared to people who had less than 6 hours of sleep. On the opposite end, a lack of sleep can lead to inhibited memory ability, an increase in impulsive behavior, poor judgment, the craving of stimulants like caffeine and sugar, poor muscle motor control and reduced attention span. There is no way around the fact that humans need sleep to function and be healthy.