BOLD Athlete

MASTER THE BASICS Step #5: SLEEP & RECOVER (Well)

RECOVERY IS NOT compression pants, massage guns, and cold plunges.

RECOVERY IS fuel, hydration, and sleep - we covered the first two, so let’s talk sleep.

What does sleep have to do with athletic performance? Most athletes want to get bigger, stronger, faster - and go straight to lifting more or maybe eating more protein. Sleep rarely makes the list. It should.

THE SCIENCE:

😴 Athletes who slept more saw real results — one study had basketball players add roughly 2 hours a night and found free throw accuracy up 9%, 3-point accuracy up 9.2%, and faster sprint times (Mah et al. 2011).

Swimmers who did the same improved sprint, reaction, and turn times too. More sleep, more gains.
😴 Cutting sleep short doesn’t just slow you down — it impairs attention, working memory, and decision-making, bad for life, school and sport. (Alhola & Polo-Kantola 2007).

😴 For those tracking stages of sleep — DEEP SLEEP drives growth hormone and muscle repair (think strength and speed), while REM consolidates memory and motor learning (think skill work and patterns). Most trackers (Oura, WHOOP, etc.) show you both.

THE NUANCES: Athletes train and compete in every state of recovery — fully recovered isn’t always realistic (or the goal) during high-load stretches. A little sore, a little tired, can be part of the process. What makes that safe is being fueled, hydrated, and rested enough to handle it.

THE FORMULA: Building lean muscle = eating enough of the right foods + the right training stimulus + PROPER SLEEP + time. Skip the sleep piece, and the other three cannot do their job.

PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION:

1️⃣ Know your number — 7.5-10 hours; younger athletes need more
2️⃣ Set a consistent sleep and wake time, even on weekends
3️⃣ Track it — you cannot manage what you do not measure
4️⃣ Protect the wind-down — dim lights, screens away, cool room
5️⃣ Treat sleep like part of training, not an afterthought
We love compression gear, massage guns, and cold plunges too — just (re)load sleep, fuel, and hydration first.

Content in collaboration with .Lane and her app FuelingChampoins.co

[ METHOD HIGHLIGHT ]

For athletes we deem “strong enough” and/or have entered the realization phase of training, we utilize complexes to target multiple qualities within a session.

In this example, we’re targeting the inside leg / crossover leg and sequencing three specific qualities:

1. High Concentric Force
Isokinetic - 0.5 m/s
Beyond Power

2. Speed-Strength + Overspeed Eccentric
Flywheel - braking biased
Exxentric

3. High Velocity
Cross-under start sprint

For this particular athlete, getting under a barbell isn’t what will make her a better skater.

Our goal is to develop the ability to produce force, absorb force and express force at high velocities and then expose those qualities in a position and movement pattern that closely reflects the demands of skating.

This is one example of how we use complexes throughout the year to bridge the gap between physical qualities and sport performance.

There are infinite ways to build these complexes depending on the athlete, training phase, movement demands and quality we’re trying to develop.

We’ll go much deeper into the how, why and application of these methods at our Training for Performance Seminar, November 7–8.

Stay fast. 💨

As the end of summer approaches, the sessions begin to thin out as we say goodbye to Athletes who are off to make some noise with their respective teams.

Despite the departures, a certain je ne sais quoi still remains rampant in the air.

What’s “Je ne sais quoi”? I’m glad you asked. That feeling, that energy, that intensity can only be defined by one thing..

JAM

Congrats to these four athletes who have brought the JAM all month long!

Stay 🌶️

🐝

MASTER THE BASICS Step #4: HYDRATE

Your brain feels dehydration before your muscles do — mild fluid loss hits focus, reaction time, and decision-making just as fast as performance, sometimes faster.

Dehydration is defined as a 2%+ decrease in body weight during a single training session or competition. For a 150lb athlete, that’s just 3 lbs. Even MILD dehydration (1%) has been shown to dampen performance.

Effects of dehydration on an athlete:

📉 Reduced cognitive/mental performance - coordination and concentration go first, even at mild levels
📉 Increased utilization of stored fuel - burns through glycogen faster
📉 Increased perceived exertion - feels like you’re working harder, tired quicker
📉 Altered metabolic and GI function - can lead to cramping and other GI issues
📉 Elevated body temp and heart rate - unmanaged, raises risk of heat exhaustion/stroke and cardiovascular strain

🔸 Coaches - give water breaks! 50-75% of students show up to practice already dehydrated.

THE FIX - 3 steps:

1️⃣ Pace yourself - sip throughout the day, not just at practice
2️⃣ Monitor your status - urine color is your gauge (light lemonade = good, apple cider = under-hydrated)
3️⃣ Refill with purpose - sweat isn’t just water. You’re also losing sodium and potassium, especially in heat/humidity or long sessions. We like CWENCH Hydration for a clean electrolyte option.

➡️ SCIENCE NOTE: Rehydration rule of thumb - 16-24oz of fluid per 1lb lost, within 2 hrs post-session.

➡️ KNOW YOUR RISK: Some things stack the odds against you. Swipe to see what puts you at higher risk

➡️ EAT YOUR HYDRATION: Food counts too. Swipe for our go-to high-water-content foods 👉

➡️ PRO TIP: Carry a bottle with a top you actually like drinking from - straw, sport top, open?

➡️ SPORTS DRINKS: Earn that one - save it for heat, high sweat rate, or 60-90+ min sessions.

Work with athletes? Share this with a teammate, parent, or coach who needs it.

PS: overhydration is real too. Drinking too much too fast, especially without electrolytes, can dilute sodium levels (hyponatremia). It’s rare, but effects can be serious - spread fluids out.

Reference: ACSM Position Stand, Exercise and Fluid Replaceme

MASTER THE BASICS #3: (Upgrade) Carb and Fat Sources.

Poor quality, timing and dose of either could be killing your performance, gains and energy — and leaving you sore — this step is about upgrading the sources to optimize energy, performance, recovery, growth and longevity in sport (and life).

AND If you want to add muscle, CARBS AND FAT ARE AS KEY AS PROTEIN, TRAINING AND SLEEP.

➡️CARBS 101:

🔸FOR ATHLETES, carbs are known as the “primary” fuel source.
🔸The focus is not less carbs, but UPGRADING to more nutrient dense sources
🔸The focus is not less carbs, but UPGRADING timing around training + games
🔸Chronic Low Carbohydrate Availability (LCA) is a known cause of stalled performance, recovery and growth. **See .Lane profile post for more on LCA.
🔸Start upgrading meals to less processed carb sources: beans, lentils, oatmeal, fruit, potatoes, rice — plus higher fiber breads like sourdough. And don’t forget your veggies.

SPOILER ALERT: ATHLETES NEED VEGGIES!

The fiber and bright colors in veggies and fruits fuel key gut bugs who in turn help us get energy out of our food, produce vitamins, manage inflammation, soreness and recovery, balance mood/focus, support our immune system and so much more!

➡️FATS 101:

🔸Fat is the body’s “secondary” fuel source-always running, but used at a greater rate after ~45-90 minutes of training (depending on intensity and carb intake and stores). Optimally, an athlete’s body is trained to use both fuels effectively on demand.
🔸Without enough performance fats in meals/snacks daily cell health, systemic inflammation, brain function, hormone (testosterone and menstrual cycle), skin and joint health can suffer!
🔸With fats its ALL ABOUT THE SOURCE. See slides for performance fat sources to keep in rotation.

SPOILER ALERT: FRENCH FRIES HAPPEN

French fries and chips happen! The upgrade is not living off them daily, and intentionally adding the fats your cells need to thrive, communicate and recover.

We are using the FuelingChampions.Co app to pinpoint timing and dose.

DM .Lane for discounted access.

🐝