{"id":87942,"date":"2025-07-24T06:26:15","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T06:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/87942\/"},"modified":"2025-07-24T06:26:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T06:26:15","slug":"a-sports-scientist-says-these-two-underrated-factors-are-sabotaging-your-gains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/87942\/","title":{"rendered":"A Sports Scientist says these \u2018two underrated factors\u2019 are sabotaging your gains"},"content":{"rendered":"

When struggling to build muscle, our minds immediately turn to the mistakes we may be making in the gym<\/a> \u2013 like are we doing the right workout split<\/a>, maybe we\u2019re not taking enough rest time, or possibly leaving too many reps in the tank.<\/p>\n

While all of the above is important, what happens on the gym floor is just one part of the puzzle. What happens outside of it is arguably more important, and Sports Scientist Menno Henselmans, has highlighted two overlooked factors that could be stalling all your hard work.<\/p>\n

In a recent YouTube video<\/a> he says stress and sleep are the two top underrated factors that can affect muscle growth, but their negative effects are often overlooked because they\u2019re both closely related to our mental health.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

How does stress affect muscle growth?<\/p>\n

We all understand by now that recovery is just as important as training when it comes to making real progress in the gym. But Henselmans says that mental stress puts our recovery on the back burner.<\/p>\n

\u201cStress effectively functions as an off switch for reproduction, digestion, repair and growth,\u201d he says. \u201cIt puts your body in sympathetic dominance \u2013 fight or flight mode \u2013 and that shuts off parasympathetic dominance, which is rest and digest mode. Stress energises your body to be ready now.\u201d<\/p>\n

When you’re in that stressed-out state, your body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. While cortisol isn\u2019t inherently bad \u2013 it’s part of your natural stress response \u2013 chronically elevated levels can work against your goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this case you\u2019re permanently suppressing repair, growth and digestion which, of course, are all vital for muscular recovery,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts<\/p>\n

Henselmans also points out that stress makes it harder for fat loss and sticking to your diet, as it increases the urge to self-medicate with comfort foods, making it more difficult to stay on track.<\/p>\n

How to solve stress<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Henselmans says that most of us turn to \u2018passive coping strategies\u2019 \u2013 these are strategies that help us disengage from the stressor, like drinking, talking things through with a friend, or watching our favourite TV show.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut research finds that active coping strategies are much more effective,\u201d he says. This is where we try and address the problem head-on to solve it. \u201cThis is what stress wants you to do, it energises you to solve a current problem in your environment, so if you have a problem with somebody, talk to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lower stress, less interference with muscle protein synthesis, better recovery, more gains.<\/p>\n

How does sleep affect muscle growth?<\/p>\n

Sleep might not be the sexiest topic in fitness, but it\u2019s still one of the most overlooked. While many people obsess over hitting their macros or getting enough protein, sleep often gets pushed aside, even though Henselmans says it\u2019s just as important.<\/p>\n

\u201cResearch shows that sleep deprivation directly reduces muscle protein synthesis, including myofibrillar muscle protein synthesis,\u201d he says. Both of which are important for helping build and repair muscle after exercise.<\/p>\n

He highlights a study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness<\/a>, which found that lifters who prioritised sleep not only gained more muscle mass than those who didn\u2019t, but also lost significantly more fat.<\/p>\n

Lack of sleep doesn\u2019t just blunt muscle growth, it also messes with anabolic hormones like growth hormone and testosterone, which are released during sleep to drive muscle recovery and growth.<\/p>\n

He also adds that poor sleep can disrupt your energy expenditure, appetite, and stress levels, all of which make it harder to stick to your training and nutrition goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cSleep deprivation is basically bad for everything, you just function as a shadow of your potential self.\u201d<\/p>\n

Optimise your sleep quality and you\u2019ll directly support better recovery, improved body composition, and faster gains.<\/p>\n

How to improve sleep<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"man<\/p>\n

(Image credit: iStock)<\/p>\n

There are lots of things you can do to help you get a more restful night’s sleep<\/a>, from going to bed consistently at the same time each night to reducing your phone time before bed. Creating a calming environment and getting your mind into a relaxed state will help alert your body that it\u2019s time to wind down.<\/p>\n

If you train in the evening, avoid having a pre-workout<\/a> (unless it’s a non-stimulant one), as the caffeine content can make it more difficult to fall asleep. Also, in regards to training near to bedtime, multiple studies<\/a> have shown that moderate intensity exercise close to bedtime doesn\u2019t tend to disrupt sleep, however, high-intensity exercise can. So, try and plan your workouts accordingly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When struggling to build muscle, our minds immediately turn to the mistakes we may be making in the…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":87943,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[1198,210,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-87942","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114906790960578626","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87942"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87942\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}