What initiates cortisol production in the adrenal gland?
The hypothalamus in the brain.
How many calories do you burn when climbing 11 floors of stairs?
19.7 calories.
1/127
p.13
Stress and Its Effects

What initiates cortisol production in the adrenal gland?

The hypothalamus in the brain.

p.32
Activity Level and Energy Expenditure

How many calories do you burn when climbing 11 floors of stairs?

19.7 calories.

p.32
Activity Level and Energy Expenditure

How many calories do you burn if you park your car a mile away from work and walk?

80 calories.

p.17
Importance of Sleep

What role does sleep play in memory reprocessing?

Sleep is an important part of memory reprocessing, with brain activity patterns corresponding to practiced movements being repeated at night.

p.9
Stress and Its Effects

How does stress affect the testosterone-to-cortisol ratio (TC ratio)?

Stress elevates cortisol, which antagonizes testosterone, predictably lowering the TC ratio.

p.14
Stress and Its Effects

What is the difference between psychological stress and biological stress?

Psychological stress may not suppress neuromuscular recovery unless it is associated with a biological stress response and suppression of the parasympathetic nervous system.

p.24
Measuring Sleep Quality

How many REM phases does a person above the age of 2 generally experience each night?

4 - 6 REM phases.

p.24
Measuring Sleep Quality

What happens to the amount of time spent in stage N3 (deep sleep) as you get older?

It generally decreases.

p.26
Measuring Sleep Quality

What is the medical term for brain wave recording?

Electroencephalogram (EEG).

p.9
Stress and Its Effects

How does high psychological stress affect recovery after strength training?

High psychological stress can double the time needed to recover from workouts.

p.27
Measuring Sleep Quality

How does subjective sleep quality correlate with objective sleep quality?

Subjective sleep quality overall correlates quite well with objective sleep quality in healthy people.

p.32
Implementation Intentions for Habits

What is the key to successfully increasing your activity level?

Making lifestyle changes rather than spending days making trivial decisions.

p.27
Measuring Sleep Quality

What is a good reference for healthy sleep?

Healthy sleep entails falling asleep within 30 minutes.

p.26
Measuring Sleep Quality

What is the medical term for eye movement recording?

Electrooculogram (EOG).

p.26
Measuring Sleep Quality

What is the medical term for muscle activity recording?

Electromyogram (EMG).

p.26
Measuring Sleep Quality

What does a polysomnogram display?

Waves in multiple rows, with each distinct wave corresponding to markers like EEG, EOG, EMG, and ECG.

p.23
Optimizing Sleep Quality

How do afternoon workouts compare to morning workouts in terms of sleep duration?

Some research finds that afternoon workouts may improve sleep duration compared to morning workouts, but most research finds the timing of exercise trivial for sleep quality.

p.21
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What is a common outcome of virtually every lifestyle intervention to improve sleep quality?

It improves athletic performance and recovery.

p.7
Stress and Its Effects

What characterizes Cushing’s syndrome?

Chronically high cortisol levels.

p.17
Importance of Sleep

What happens in the motor cortex after practicing movements like squats?

At night, the motor cortex practices the squat movements again.

p.9
Stress Management Techniques

What should a good training program take into account for stressed trainees?

A good training program should take into account the stress experienced by the individual, potentially lowering training frequency or volume.

p.5
Stress and Its Effects

What is stress-induced analgesia?

A phenomenon where sensitivity to pain from physical stressors decreases.

p.23
Stress and Its Effects

How does body fat percentage relate to sleep requirements?

Sleep requirements seem to increase as body fat percentage decreases, possibly due to a lower tolerance for stress.

p.25
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What are the characteristics of REM sleep?

Muscular tone is reduced to zero, heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and cerebral blood flow all rise, and dreams occur.

p.25
Measuring Sleep Quality

What is polysomnography?

Polysomnography is a method of quantifying sleep stages using sensors to measure small electrical currents emitted by mammals and birds.

p.29
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

What are the potential long-term effects of chronic sleep restriction?

You may suffer permanent brain damage and increased lifetime risk of neural diseases and memory impairments.

p.34
Activity Level and Energy Expenditure

How many extra calories can an afternoon of standing office work burn compared to staying seated?

174 kcal extra.

p.19
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

What is the effect of sleeping ~6 hours instead of 8 hours a day for just 4 days on energy intake?

It can increase your ad libitum energy intake by 20%.

p.24
Measuring Sleep Quality

How many stages of non-REM sleep are there?

Three stages (N1 - N3).

p.14
Stress Management Techniques

Why is it still useful to ask clients how stressed they feel?

Because psychological stress is very real in the mind of the person experiencing it and can affect their fitness lifestyle.

p.31
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What is the old golden rule of sleep quality?

Waking up without an alarm every day around the same time feeling fully refreshed.

p.9
Stress and Its Effects

How does stress affect the healing time of various pathologies?

Stress considerably impairs the healing time of various pathologies, including simple wounds.

p.24
Measuring Sleep Quality

Is the brain active during sleep?

Yes, the brain is quite active during sleep and its activity changes systematically across different stages of sleep.

p.5
Stress and Its Effects

What physiological changes occur during the stress-response?

Increased heart and breathing rates, mobilization of glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids, blood vessel constriction, and blood directed away from the skin.

p.18
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

What are the effects of sleep deprivation on nutrient partitioning?

It causes hugely unfavorable alterations, reducing rates of myofibrillar protein synthesis.

p.34
Diet and Stress Relationship

What is a simple strategy to ensure you drink enough water throughout the day?

Keep a calorie-free beverage on your desk and make sure it's empty at certain times of day, like before meals or before going to the gym.

p.10
Diet and Stress Relationship

Why doesn't comfort eating help much in combating chronic stress?

The pleasurable sensation of eating is brief, and food does not provide a significant biochemical reward compared to important life events.

p.19
Optimizing Sleep Quality

How can fixing your sleep affect your body composition over the course of a year?

Fixing your sleep can help you gain pounds of muscle and lose pounds of fat without exercise or dieting.

p.19
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

What is the impact of a night without sleep on testosterone production?

A night without sleep can impair testosterone production by 24%.

p.16
Optimizing Sleep Quality

Why do athletes spend a larger proportion of total sleep in a slow-wave state?

Because their physical recovery requirements are higher.

p.24
Measuring Sleep Quality

What is the sequence of sleep stages during a full night's sleep?

We go through 5 cycles of the 3 non-REM sleep stages, each ending in a REM phase.

p.27
Measuring Sleep Quality

What is a simple and practical option for measuring sleep quality?

Subjective sleep quality is a simple and practical option.

p.9
Measuring Sleep Quality

What ratio can be used to monitor the training status of athletes in relation to stress?

The testosterone-to-cortisol ratio (TC ratio).

p.6
Stress and Its Effects

What happens when the body is in fight-or-flight mode all the time?

Being in fight-or-flight mode all the time doesn't leave enough room for rest-and-digest mode, slowing down immune and digestive systems and suppressing reproduction, growth, and repair.

p.11
Activity Level and Energy Expenditure

What effect does chronic stress have on energy expenditure?

Chronic stress can reduce energy expenditure.

p.17
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What happens to synaptic strength during wakefulness?

There is a net increase in synaptic strength during wakefulness due to plastic changes needed to process information.

p.4
Circadian Rhythm Management

Why is a consistent meal frequency beneficial for health, body composition, and mental wellbeing?

A consistent meal frequency helps maintain a stable biorhythm, which is beneficial for health, body composition, and mental wellbeing.

p.23
Optimizing Sleep Quality

How can you tell if you have slept enough regardless of sleep duration?

If you wake up naturally at the same time every day and feel completely refreshed.

p.34
Activity Level and Energy Expenditure

What are the benefits of using a standing desk or treadmill desk?

They increase activity level without disrupting work quality or productivity, and they don't increase appetite.

p.34
Activity Level and Energy Expenditure

Why might you not achieve a major increase in energy expenditure with a standing desk?

Because we are intuitively inclined to lower our spontaneous physical activity level after periods of higher activity.

p.6
Stress and Its Effects

What is 'eustress'?

'Eustress' is a form of stress that can be healthy for the body, helping it stay strong and active.

p.27
Measuring Sleep Quality

Why is polysomnography not commonly used outside of a laboratory?

Most people don't have access to polysomnography outside of a laboratory.

p.17
Importance of Sleep

How does sleep affect learning and memory?

Tasks and skills are better learned and memorized if you sleep in between sessions.

p.5
Stress and Its Effects

What is the stress-response?

An ancient survival mechanism characterized by the release of cortisol, adrenalin, and other hormones from the adrenal gland, putting the body in fight-or-flight mode.

p.17
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What happens to synaptic strength during sleep?

During sleep, synaptic strength is downscaled to maintain homeostasis.

p.25
Circadian Rhythm Management

How many sleep cycles does a typical night's sleep consist of?

5 sleep cycles, each approximately 90 minutes long.

p.34
Activity Level and Energy Expenditure

What is the percentage increase in energy expenditure when performing desk work standing instead of seated?

11.5% increase.

p.28
Measuring Sleep Quality

What is considered a sign of good sleep efficiency?

Having a sleep efficiency of at least 85%.

p.19
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

What is the impact of common levels of sleep deprivation on body composition?

Common levels of sleep deprivation can significantly impair gains, leading to increased fat gain, especially in the abdominal area, and promoting an unhealthier body fat distribution.

p.28
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

What is the relationship between additional waking time and cognitive functioning?

There is a nearly linear dose-response relationship where each hour of additional sleep debt decreases brain functioning almost as much as the hour before.

p.16
Importance of Sleep

What is the relationship between sleep and the immune system?

Sleep is closely linked to the functioning of our immune system and is an important modulator of endocrine function, including hormone production.

p.13
Stress and Its Effects

Where does cortisol production occur?

In the adrenal gland.

p.14
Stress and Its Effects

How can psychological stress interfere with fitness goals?

Psychological stress can interfere with dietary adherence, training motivation, and sleep quality, which can in turn interfere with muscular recovery.

p.15
Importance of Sleep

What is wakefulness?

Wakefulness describes the daily recurring state in which an organism engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world.

p.17
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What is synaptic homeostasis?

Synaptic homeostasis is the process by which sleep allows the brain to reestablish synaptic and cellular balance.

p.26
Measuring Sleep Quality

What is the medical term for heart rate recording?

Electrocardiogram (ECG).

p.22
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

What are the potential health risks associated with consistently sleeping more than 9 hours?

It may be associated with depression and boredom.

p.22
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What is the advisable amount of sleep per night for strength trainees?

9 hours per night, after correcting sleep debt.

p.10
Diet and Stress Relationship

What is the effect of a little stress on diet adherence?

A little stress is good for diet adherence because it suppresses appetite.

p.25
Measuring Sleep Quality

What does polysomnography measure?

It measures small electrical currents emitted by the body and analyzes four markers corresponding to different levels of activity for each sleep stage.

p.34
Activity Level and Energy Expenditure

How much can a treadmill desk increase energy expenditure per hour?

100-150 kcal per hour.

p.28
Measuring Sleep Quality

What is the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) used for?

To measure sleep quality in great detail.

p.20
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

How does extreme sleep deprivation affect growth hormone production?

Growth hormone production may decrease with extreme sleep deprivation.

p.31
Measuring Sleep Quality

Why is it generally not worth purchasing and wearing a sleep quality device for most people?

Because everyone should try to optimize their sleep quality with low-effort strategies regardless of what a sleep tracker says.

p.31
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What should you do if you are not waking up feeling fully refreshed?

Prioritize getting more sleeping time and implement additional sleep optimization strategies.

p.15
Importance of Sleep

How is sleep defined under normal conditions?

Sleep is defined as a reversible behavioral state of perceptual disengagement from and unresponsiveness to the environment.

p.33
Implementation Intentions for Habits

What is an example of an implementation intention for commuting to work?

If it rains, I go to work by car. Otherwise, I go by bicycle.

p.33
Activity Level and Energy Expenditure

Why is sitting for prolonged periods harmful even if you exercise regularly?

The time spent seated is an independent predictor of dozens of health complications.

p.18
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

Why is sleep deprivation considered more of a hindrance to strength training than chronic stress?

Because it makes you more vulnerable to stress and has negative effects on almost every system in your body.

p.22
Activity Level and Energy Expenditure

How does intense training affect sleep requirements?

Sleep requirements increase as a result of intense training.

p.23
Optimizing Sleep Quality

How effective are naps for counteracting fatigue?

Naps are highly effective for counteracting physical and mental fatigue acutely.

p.23
Optimizing Sleep Quality

When is it generally best to limit your naps to?

Late morning or early afternoon.

p.19
Optimizing Sleep Quality

How can catching up on sleep debt for 2 weeks affect energy intake?

It can reduce your ad libitum energy intake by several hundred Calories.

p.19
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

How does sleeping 5 hours a night affect testosterone production?

It can decrease testosterone production by ~13%.

p.16
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What is the significance of stage N3 (slow-wave sleep)?

Stage N3 is associated with increases in growth hormone production and is important for physical restoration.

p.37
Stress and Its Effects

What are the mechanisms of action by which increased stress and reduced sleep quality can harm someone's body composition goals?

Increased stress and reduced sleep quality can lead to hormonal imbalances, increased fat storage, muscle loss, and impaired recovery.

p.37
Measuring Sleep Quality

How can you assess the impact of someone's stress level and sleep quality on their body composition changes?

By monitoring changes in weight, body fat percentage, muscle mass, and overall physical performance, while also considering subjective measures like mood and energy levels.

p.37
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What strategies can help optimize someone's sleep quality?

Strategies include maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, creating a restful environment, limiting screen time before bed, and managing stress.

p.7
Stress and Its Effects

What are some high-stress conditions that illustrate the effects of hormonal disruptions?

Burnout and Cushing’s syndrome.

p.37
Activity Level and Energy Expenditure

How can you help someone sustainably increase their activity level?

By setting realistic goals, incorporating enjoyable activities, gradually increasing intensity, and providing ongoing support and motivation.

p.22
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

What happens to physical performance in athletes after a few days of insufficient sleep?

Physical performance starts to deteriorate.

p.33
Activity Level and Energy Expenditure

What is one tip to increase activity level when working behind a desk?

Make a habit of drinking lots of fluids to prevent prolonged sedentary posture and slightly raise metabolism.

p.23
Optimizing Sleep Quality

How does strength training affect sleep quality?

Strength training improves sleep quality.

p.22
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What is the research consensus on sufficient sleep duration for sedentary individuals?

7.5-8 hours per night.

p.10
Diet and Stress Relationship

Which nervous system and hormones are responsible for the appetite-suppressing effects of stress?

The sympathetic nervous system and the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline.

p.10
Diet and Stress Relationship

What hormone is responsible for increasing the desire for food during high amounts of stress?

Cortisol, the stress hormone.

p.25
Optimizing Sleep Quality

Why is REM sleep named as such?

Because during REM sleep, the eyes move in a rapid manner underneath the eyelids corresponding to the content of the dream.

p.16
Importance of Sleep

Why might sleep be important for early brain development?

Newborns sleep substantially more hours than adults, and about 50% of their sleep shortly after birth is spent in REM sleep phases, which may play a role in neural development.

p.20
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

What increases more than objective strength or work capacity due to sleep deprivation?

Training distress and perceived effort increase far more.

p.7
Stress and Its Effects

What are the consequences of living a very stressful life?

You age faster, accumulate oxidative stress, and die sooner.

p.6
Stress and Its Effects

What is the main issue with psychological life stressors?

Psychological life stressors are often chronic, while the stress-response evolved to be episodic, not chronic.

p.37
Stress Management Techniques

What techniques can help reduce someone's stress level?

Techniques include practicing mindfulness, engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, and seeking social support.

p.17
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What are synapses?

Synapses are the connections between our nerve cells.

p.33
Implementation Intentions for Habits

What are implementation intentions?

Clear, concrete if-then rules for your life, also known as action triggers.

p.26
Measuring Sleep Quality

How can different sleep stages be distinguished in a polysomnogram?

Each sleep stage emits a different frequency and intensity of EEG waves.

p.22
Optimizing Sleep Quality

How much sleep is recommended for human adults aged 18-60?

7+ hours per night.

p.25
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What happens during slow-wave sleep (N3)?

Most bodily functions are reduced, heart and breathing rates are reduced, and pupils narrow, signaling a more parasympathetic tone.

p.4
Circadian Rhythm Management

Why is routine considered efficient?

Routine is considered efficient because it allows you to forget your diet and not think about what to eat, when to eat, or when to train.

p.10
Diet and Stress Relationship

How do women and men differ in their reliance on comfort food to counteract stress?

Women generally rely more on comfort food to counteract unhappiness and stress than men.

p.10
Diet and Stress Relationship

Are unhealthy foods more effective than healthy foods in reducing stress?

No, unhealthy foods are not more effective than healthy foods in reducing stress.

p.28
Measuring Sleep Quality

How do people typically misjudge their sleep duration?

They overestimate it by about half an hour a day.

p.4
Circadian Rhythm Management

How can a stable biorhythm improve overall wellbeing?

A stable biorhythm with fixed meal times, caffeine use, light exposure, and exercise can improve cognitive functioning, physical performance, and overall wellbeing.

p.23
Optimizing Sleep Quality

Why are naps not a replacement for nighttime sleep?

Unless you nap for a full sleep cycle of ~90 minutes, you won’t enter deep sleep.

p.19
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

What is the effect of sleep deprivation on basal metabolic rate?

Sleep deprivation can cause a 2-8% decrease in basal metabolic rate, often with no change in total energy expenditure despite a generally higher activity level.

p.20
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

How does the body compensate for lack of nighttime growth hormone production during mild sleep deprivation?

The body compensates with increased daytime production.

p.22
Importance of Sleep

Why do many people underestimate the impact of sleep?

Because sleep deprivation does not have much negative effect on acute strength levels.

p.25
Optimizing Sleep Quality

What are the characteristics of N1 sleep stage?

Sleep starts at a 'shallow depth' (N1) and gets deeper over time.

p.4
Circadian Rhythm Management

What is a stronger predictor of all-cause mortality than total sleep duration?

Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of all-cause mortality than total sleep duration.

p.28
Measuring Sleep Quality

Is remembering your dreams a sign of good sleep quality?

No, it suggests you spent a relatively large amount of time in REM sleep instead of deep sleep.

p.20
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

How does sleep deprivation affect cortisol production?

Cortisol production generally stays roughly the same but can become more variable.

p.20
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

What is one of the metabolic consequences of sleep deprivation?

Increased insulin resistance, both acutely and chronically.

p.20
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

How does sleep deprivation affect overall wellbeing?

Sleep deprivation decreases wellbeing.

p.16
Optimizing Sleep Quality

How does sleep change with age in relation to slow-wave sleep?

Older populations show decreasing time spent in a slow-wave state, in line with their reduced physical recovery requirements.

p.20
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

How does sleep deprivation impact exercise performance?

Sleep deprivation impairs exercise performance mainly due to underrecovery and reduced willpower and motivation.

p.20
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

How does sleep deprivation affect systemic inflammation levels?

Sleep deprivation increases systemic inflammation levels.

p.20
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

What are some cognitive effects of sleep deprivation?

Decreased cognitive functioning, including impaired self-control.

p.20
Sleep Deprivation Consequences

How can one compensate for feeling fatigued due to sleep deprivation during exercise?

With willpower and motivation, though recovery afterwards may be an issue.

Study Smarter, Not Harder
Study Smarter, Not Harder