5d • Training & Nutrition
The recovery variable most squash players ignore
Quick question: how many of you are consistently getting 7–8 hours of sleep before training or match days?
Here's why I ask. A 2025 study measured what happens to muscle protein synthesis — your body's ability to repair and build muscle after training — when you're sleep deprived.
The result: −18% drop in muscle protein synthesis.
That means the same training session, the same post-match meal, the same protein intake — but your body rebuilds 18% less effectively when you're under-slept. For a sport that demands explosive recovery between points, that's not a small number.
Beyond muscle repair:
- Reaction time slows measurably on under-7-hours sleep
- Ghrelin (hunger) rises → harder to eat well pre-match
- Decision-making under fatigue degrades faster
Sleep isn't passive recovery. It's where the adaptation from your training actually happens.
How are you managing sleep around your training and match schedule? What's the biggest barrier — late matches, travel, stress?
Let's talk about it.
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The recovery variable most squash players ignore
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