Episode 132: Recovery and Sleep: The Most Overlooked Performance Lever You Have

<p>In this episode, I dive into Recovery and Sleep — covering the biology of sleep (testosterone, HGH, HRV, cortisol), my own story of unlearning sleep deprivation as a badge of honor, the five thieves of sleep quality, a four-step recovery protocol, and why the stakes of chronic under-recovery get significantly higher after 35. </p><p>Leaving you with three actionable steps to implement today.</p><p><strong>Resources Mentioned:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Take your free Vitality Score → <a href="https://vitalitynation.org/vitality_score" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">click here</a></p></li><li><p>Book a Clarity Call → <a href="https://calendly.com/chadfrancocoaching/discovery-call" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">click here</a></p></li></ul><p><strong>Key Research Referenced:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Testosterone reduction from sleep deprivation (Leproult &amp; Van Cauter, 2011 — JAMA)</p></li><li><p>HGH and slow-wave sleep architecture research</p></li><li><p>HRV as autonomic nervous system recovery marker</p></li><li><p>Alcohol and REM sleep suppression research</p></li><li><p>Blue light and melatonin suppression (Harvard Medical School / circadian biology literature)</p></li></ul><p><br></p>