Dr. Giulia Enders

They are quite similar to being sick, to be honest.

But after that, when the body actually realizes we're not sick and it can relax and really come to rest quickly,

quite quickly also, that's when all the nice things happen.

That's when the muscle growth is initiated, when we have more storage for nutrients, when we actually train our heart or our lungs to be a bit more powerful for the next day or the next exercise to come.

And also like all the mental effects that there are many brain cells changing just because of exercise.

All of that happens afterwards.

Both.

So we see some changes right afterwards.

For example, dopamine receptors in the brain, so cells that are responsible for giving you a motivated, rewarding feeling, they will actually change highly after just one hour of aerobic exercise.

And then we see more long-term changes, like starting to build muscle differently, starting to have a bit more capacity in your lungs.

And those usually happen during the night.

because that is when we sleep, when our cells are being replenished, and when everything's being, you know, getting ready for the next day.

And when the last day it experienced, oh, so much stress, so much movement going on, then it will get ourselves ready for the next day with a bit more capacity for movement.

So more muscle, more lung capacity, and so on.

So a few things happen right after, and then a majority of the things in the muscles and physically body-wise happen during sleep.

I think, well, it does two things.

For once, I take restoration or relaxation time more seriously.

And professional athletes already do this.

They plan their exercise schedule after how well they replenish, how well they relax.

And if they don't have sore muscles, then they go full strength again.