#136: How Sleeping Better Can Make You a Faster Runner

Get 10% off your Cooling Sleep System with code FLO at https://somnuslab.com Can better sleep make you a faster runner? Chu Zhu is a sleep expert who's worked with Tour de France winners, Olympic athletes, and elite endurance performers. He's also a runner, swimmer, mountaineer, and founder of Somnus Lab. We dive into one of the most overlooked aspects of performance: sleep, one of the key areas I've been focusing to optimize my health. You'll get a lot out of this one.

We're running "Back to Basics 30" right now in the Personal Best Program, a 30-day challenge helping runners build consistent habits around sleep, daily movement, nutrition, and strength. The progress people are seeing has been real. Join here: https://www.skool.com/personalbest

Watch the full video on YouTube

Topics covered:

​0:00​ — Can better sleep help you run faster? 2:00 — Heavenly Heat Saunas sponsorship ​3:11​ — Why sleep is an underrated performance tool ​5:53​ — Seeing sleep and recovery as training ​6:39​ — What happens when athletes don't sleep enough ​9:46​ — Why sleep is a 24-hour process ​13:39​ — The biggest levers for improving sleep quality ​17:27​ — What an ideal sleep week looks like ​19:34​ — How late-night training affects sleep ​22:28​ — How better sleep can improve running performance ​24:57​ — Floris' first marathon on very little sleep ​25:50​ — Chu's personal shift in how he views recovery ​27:50​ — Why temperature is such a powerful sleep lever ​30:43​ — How body temperature changes through the night ​32:24​ — Building Somnus Lab and developing sleep cooling mats ​35:24​ — Testing cooling mattresses with athletes and users ​38:18​ — The future vision for Somnus Lab ​40:49​ — Chu's real-life sleep routine ​45:58​ — Naps and sleep cycles strategy ​52:04​ — Food timing and its impact on sleep ​53:25​ — The one sleep habit every runner should improve ​55:46​ — How chronotypes change 57:14 — Where to find Chu and Somnus Lab ​57:54​ — How to become a stronger, healthier, happier athlete ​1:00:10​ — Chu's future adventure goals 1:01:52 — Closing thoughts

Affiliate Disclosure: I may earn commissions if you purchase items via my affiliate links. "As an affiliate I may earn from qualifying purchases." Affiliate links do not increase cost to you. Also, you do not need to use these links. You can also search for these same items and buy/research them that way.

FIND CHU:

► Substack: https://zhuchu.substack.com/

LINKS & TOOLS MENTIONED

► Somnus Lab (get 10% off): https://somnuslab.com

► Somnus Lab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somnuslab/

YOU CAN FIND ME, FLORIS GIERMAN HERE: