Sleep is one of the most important, underrated, elements of muscle recovery and gains. While some of you may think you’re a badass for only getting 5 hours a sleep a day, what you are really doing is hurting your gains. Sleep is the prime time that your body produces HGH (human growth hormone) and uses amino acids to aid in muscle recovery, and ultimately, muscle growth.
A study in 2011 looked at sleep deprivation and its impact on muscle gains. There were two groups studied. The study followed individuals who were on a strict sleep schedule for 72 hours. During this time, one group was allowed 5.5 hours of sleep; another was allowed 8.5 hours per day. All individuals followed a calorie-regulated diet. The results of the study indicated that individuals who slept only 5.5 hours had 60% less muscle mass at the end of the study, while those who slept 8.5 hours had 40% more muscle mass. This study alone teaches us that sleep is SO important.
So many external things in our lives impact our ability to sleep. Work schedules, stress levels, stimulants, anxiety, depression, kids, family, etc. It is not uncommon for someone to average 5.5-6 hours of sleep per night. These are the same people who also excel in their diet and at the gym, but cannot seem to gain muscle mass. Sleep is where they are lacking, and it is, and always will be, one of the most important factors in the muscle growth process.
Supplement brands have been recently coming out with sleep aids to help us achieve a deep, REM-like sleep. Few actually work well enough to achieve. Some even use ingredients that are considered to be “gray” area to achieve that. The Genius Brand is a brand that looks to all-natural ingredients to produce high quality supplements that work. You won’t find any illegal or gray area ingredients in their products, and you sure won’t find any in The Genius Brand Genius Sleep Aid.
The Genius Brand Genius Sleep Aid
To understand why The Genius Brand Genius Sleep Aid works, it is important that you understand what it does. The Genius Brand Genius Sleep Aid aids in:
- Fall asleep faster
- Alleviate stress and anxiety
- Adrenal support
- Non-habit forming and drug free
These are things you should be looking for in any sleep aid. Let’s dive into what makes The Genius Brand Genius Sleep Aid such a great product.
L-Glycine (1,000mg)
Glycine is an amino acid that aids in muscle building. It is also used to help treat sleep problems. Glycine is a common ingredient used in sleep aids to help the supplement user get better quality of sleep.
In one study, sleep was restricted to 25% less than the usual sleep time for three consecutive nights in participants, The same participants took 3g of Glycine or a placebo. The researchers measured fatigue levels using the visual analog scale (VAS) and a questionnaire, and performance were estimated by personal computer (PC) performance test program on the following day. In subjects given glycine, the VAS data showed a significant reduction in fatigue and a tendency toward reduced sleepiness. These observations were also found via the questionnaire, indicating that glycine improves daytime sleepiness and fatigue induced by acute sleep restriction. PC performance test revealed significant improvement in psychomotor vigilance test. Simply put: supplementing with Glycine prior to bedtime leads to a better quality of sleep.
Per clinical trials, a dosage of 3-5g before bed is ideal.
L-Theanine (100mg)
Theanine is known as the “relaxation” ingredient in sports nutrition. It provides both relaxation and mood enhancement without the sedation. This is why you find Theanine found in many supplements, due to its versatility.
Due to L-Theanine not being a sedative, it is more of an add-on for a sleep aid as opposed to the powerhouse of a sleep aid. It actually makes a good addition to GABA as shown in this study for the purpose of increasing REM sleep.
Theanine is solid for to alleviate stress and anxiety, two common reasons people have a hard time falling and staying asleep.
Theanine should be dosed between 50mg-100mg to start.
Rutaecarpine (100mg)
Rutaecarpine is a unique ingredient that supports cleansing of your adrenal gland. Caffeine and stimulants are ingested daily by many users, both inside the fitness world, and outside the fitness world that it has essentially lead to “adrenal fatigue.” This constant exposure to caffeine can lead to chronic fatigue until the adrenal gland has a chance to recovery.
Rutaecarpine has been shown to help improve the metabolism of caffeine. In one study, subjects where given 80mg Rutaecarpine and 20mg Caffeine. Tests were performed that indicated the group who supplemented with Rutaecarpine metabolized Caffeine much better than the control group. Not only did it metabolize Caffeine better, it also metabolized theophylline, theobromine and paraxanthine by inducing CYP1A2 and CYP2E1. This study was conducted on rodents.
Rutaecarpine has been shown to induce hypotension and vasorelaxation. These are other positive impacts of the ingredient.
Per the study a dosage of 80mg-100mg is sufficient for adrenal support.
Inositol (100mg)
Inositol is used to help with sleep problems and fight fatigue. Inositol this helps regulate insulin levels and can improve metal clarity and reduce depression. Improvement of mental clarity and reduction in depression can lead to better, longer sleep.
Inositol has also been shown to help improve blood flow which fights against fatigue.
Inositol is a common ingredient used in both sleep aids and adrenal support products. They are typically dosed at 50mg-150mg.
Melatonin (.5mg)
Melatonin is the most common sleep aid on the market. Many stand alone supplements exist with just Melatonin.
Melatonin’s main job in the body is to regulate night and day cycles or sleep-wake cycles. Darkness causes the body to produce more Melatonin, which signals the body to prepare for sleep. Light decreases Melatonin production and signals the body to prepare for being awake. Some people who have trouble sleeping have low levels of Melatonin, this supplementing with Melatonin makes sense.
If you suffer from insomnia you may need a higher dosage, but typical dosage of Melatonin for troubles falling asleep is 0.3 to 5 mg of melatonin daily.
Final Takeaway
The Genius Brand Genius Sleep Aid, on paper, is a safe and effective sleep aid using proven ingredients to aid in helping you fall asleep, reducing stress and anxiety and supporting your adrenal care. There are many sleep aids on the market today, many with under dosed ingredients. Sure, we could use more Glycine with Genius Sleep Aid, but even at 1g you will still get a positive impact.
The value is top notch for Genius Sleep Aid. For one unit you get 20-servings for only $19.99. This is a solid deal to ensure you are getting adequate sleep to help with your fitness goals. Heck, even if you’re just wanting a deeper sleep and don’t lift weights, this supplement will prove to be beneficial.
NOTE: We have not reviewed The Genius Brand Genius Sleep Aid yet. Sign-up below for an alert when the full review becomes available.
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