Can ‘Life-Stress’ Impair Your Gym Progress? Research Suggests It Can.
When we think about improving our fitness, we often consider elements such as exercise plans, dietary choices, calorie targets, and maybe quality sleep.
However, the truth is, there’s a less obvious element that plays a significant role in fitness progress and it could be sabotaging your gym results!
Stress.
Many of us perceive stress as primarily psychological, with potential long-term physical impacts on our eating habits or sleep quality (which is all true, by the way!).
Nevertheless, high stress, whether related to our careers, family, or other factors, can actually affect our daily fitness performance, specifically hindering the gains we make from exercise.
A compelling study examined the impact of high stress on strength gains, with 135 participants following a 12-week resistance training plan consisting of two weight training sessions per week.
The findings revealed that individuals with self-reported high stress experienced smaller increases in strength compared to their low-stress counterparts.
Participants with low stress experienced an average strength increase of:
25% in squat strength
15% in bench press strength
In contrast, participants in the high-stress group showed an average increase of:
22% in squat strength
12% in bench press strength
You might be thinking, “well, that’s a pretty minimal difference,” and I would agree. However, if only 12 weeks of training within a controlled setting can produce these strength deficits, imagine the long-term impact that stress could have on the average gym-goer over a year or more.
Consider the likelihood of missed workouts, your mind drifting during exercises, leading to suboptimal effort. There’s also the possibility of consuming less nutrient-dense foods, resulting in deficiencies and missing protein targets. This could, in turn, lead to poor sleep and inadequate recovery, opening the door for illness.
Not to mention the physiological impact chronic stress can have on testosterone levels and its subsequent impact on performance, strength, and muscle gains over time.
HOWEVER, it’s essential to note that not all stress is bad.
At the right dose, stress can be beneficial - energising us and substantially boosting performance.
The takeaway.
Stress is entirely normal and a part of all our lives. However, understanding its impact can help us make informed decisions.
For this reason, sleep quality, stress management, and recovery constitute a significant part of my coaching services and wellbeing philosophy. By focusing on these aspects of wellbeing, I can program and prescribe exercise and lifestyle strategies that effectively create positive change and enhance health without causing fatigue, burnout, or energy slumps.
I'm interested to know if you've noticed a correlation between your stress levels and your gym performance recently?
Drop a comment below / a direct message to let me know.