Sweat dreams?

While trying to get ripped is an admirable goal, new research reveals that doing it at night might just be muscling into your REM cycle .

High-intensity workouts four hours or less before bed were linked to poorer sleep quality , later bedtimes and a higher resting heart rate. 3

They were also associated with lower heart rate variability , meaning less variation in the time between heartbeats, which is generally a sign of stress or poor recovery.

All of the markers indicate strenuous exercise that close to lights out puts the body into a heightened state of alertness, hindering the transition to restful sleep.

Strenuous exercise is defined as activities that require a lot of physical effort — typically elevating the heart rate to 70% to 85% of maximum capac

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