#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

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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: ► Join my Personal Best Running Coaching Program: https://www.skool.com/personalbest ► Buy my new book Running Breakthroughs: https://geni.us/running-breakthroughs ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florisgierman

► Podcast: https://extramilest.com/podcast ► Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1329785

ABOUT THE EXTRAMILEST SHOW: A podcast and YouTube channel where host Floris Gierman interviews world class athletes, coaches and health experts on the topic of how to become a stronger, healthier and happier athlete.

Get 10% off your Cooling Sleep System with code FLO at https://somnuslab.com

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