The Ultimate Performance-Enhancing Drug
What would you do if I told you that there was a supplement or medication that could improve:
Athletic Performance: +10-30% improvement in strength, speed, endurance, and reaction time.
Cognitive Performance: +20-40% boost in memory, learning, and problem-solving.
Metabolic Health: +30-55% better fat loss, muscle retention, and hormone balance.
Cardiovascular Health: +20-40% lower risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and inflammation.
Well, the research is clear… there is something that brings all of those benefits, and it isn’t a drug and it is completely free. The answer simply more and/or better quality sleep.
Sleep is arguably the most potent performance-enhancing tool that we aren’t taking advantage of! Science has shown that high-quality sleep boosts athletic performance, cognitive function, recovery, and longevity in ways that rival pharmaceutical interventions. Yet, in a world that glorifies “grinding” and cutting back on rest, sleep remains the most underutilized advantage in health, fitness, and mental performance.
1. Sleep Improves Strength, Speed, and Endurance
A groundbreaking study on basketball players at Stanford University found that increasing from good to great sleep resulted in:
Faster sprint times
Improved shooting accuracy (9% boost in free throws and three-pointers)
Better reaction times and mood
Another study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showed that sleep deprivation reduces strength output by up to 20% and significantly increases the risk of injury.
Take home: More sleep = more power, endurance, and coordination.
2. Sleep Enhances Muscle Growth & Recovery
Muscle growth doesn’t happen in the gym—it happens during deep sleep, when the body releases growth hormone (GH) and testosterone, the key drivers of muscle repair and development.
Lack of sleep leads to:
Lower testosterone and growth hormone levels
Slower muscle recovery
Increased risk of overtraining syndrome
A study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that sleeping only 5 hours per night reduced testosterone by 10-15% in young men after just one week. Compare that to the fact that aging decreases testosterone at a rate of 1% per year—and suddenly, poor sleep is like artificially accelerating aging.
Take home: Sleep is nature’s anabolic steroid—cut it short, and you sabotage your gains.
3. Sleep is the Ultimate Cognitive Enhancer
The U.S. Army Research Institute found that sleep deprivation reduces cognitive function as much as being legally drunk (equivalent to a 0.08% blood alcohol level).
Lack of sleep impairs:
Memory consolidation (forgetting what you learned)
Decision-making and reaction time
Emotional regulation and stress tolerance
Conversely, high-quality sleep improves creativity, problem-solving, and learning speed—crucial for both athletic and professional performance.
Take home: If you’re sleep-deprived, you are setting yourself up for substandard performance!
4. Sleep Optimizes Metabolism & Fat Loss
Want to lose weight and perform better? Prioritize sleep.
Studies show that sleep deprivation increases ghrelin (hunger hormone) and reduces leptin (satiety hormone)—making people crave more junk food and burn fewer calories.
A 2010 study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that:
People who slept 8.5 hours lost 55% more fat than those who slept only 5.5 hours, even when both groups ate the same number of calories.
Sleep-deprived individuals burned more muscle than fat, making weight loss less effective.
Take home: Sleep deprivation makes fat loss harder, muscle loss easier, and hunger uncontrollable—the worst combination for managing your body composition.
How to Use Sleep as a Performance-Enhancing Drug
Just like training and nutrition, sleep should be a structured part of your performance plan. Here’s how to maximize its benefits:
Get 7-9 hours per night—athletes often need up to 9-10 hours for optimal recovery.
Prioritize deep sleep—1.5+ hours of deep sleep is key for growth hormone release.
Stick to a sleep schedule—going to bed and waking up at the same time improves sleep quality.
Avoid screens & artificial light before bed—blue light suppresses melatonin, delaying sleep onset.
Limit late-night eating and alcohol—both majorly disrupt deep sleep and REM cycles.
The Takeaway
Sleep isn’t just rest—it’s the ultimate performance-enhancer. Whether you’re an athlete, entrepreneur, or someone trying to optimize your health, sleep boosts strength, speed, endurance, cognition, recovery, and metabolism like no supplement or drug ever could.
If you’re looking for an edge in your performance and health, start by asking: “Am I getting good sleep?” For those of you tracking your sleep, be cautious about trusting a wearable. They are generally only about 60% accurate in sleep staging.
If you would like to accurately measure or optimize your sleep quality, please let me know. Rise offers sleep optimization services and low cost, at home sleep studies that allow us to determine precisely how much and how good of sleep you are getting. We would love to help you level up your sleep, performance, and longevity!
