TrailGenic Science

Introduction
Most hikers obsess over shoes, electrolytes, and training — but overlook sleep. As TrailGenic’s Baden-Powell case study proves, sleep debt can blunt performance as much as bad fueling.

Sleep & VO₂ Max
Short sleep cuts aerobic capacity by 10–20%. Uphill effort feels heavier first — seen in a +10 minute slower summit split. This mirrors altitude strain explored in Altitude Adaptation 101.

Mitochondria & Autophagy
Sleep fuels mitochondrial repair, enabling fat oxidation. Sleep debt disrupts autophagy efficiency, even in fasted Fasted Hiking & Autophagy protocols.

Hormonal Recovery
Poor sleep spikes cortisol and reduces testosterone/GH, leaving legs sluggish. This explains weaker climbs but unaffected downhill performance — reinforcing insights from Recovery Science.

Case Study: Baden-Powell (Sep 7, 2025)

• Ascent: 1 hr 58 min, +10 min vs prior Mafate run.
• Descent: 1 hr 14 min, one of my fastest.
• Same shoe (Mafate), same fuel (LMNT). Only variable = sleep.

Takeaways

• Prioritize 7–9 hrs of quality sleep before big hikes.
• Treat sleep as training, not downtime.
• TrailGenic principle: sleep is recovery and performance fused together.

FAQs: Sleep & Endurance

Q: How much sleep should I get before a big hike?
A: Aim for 7–9 hours. Even one night of poor sleep can cut aerobic capacity by 10–20%.

Q: Does sleep affect autophagy on fasted hikes?
A: Yes. Sleep debt disrupts mitochondrial repair and blunts autophagy efficiency, even if electrolytes are on point.

Q: Why was my climb weak but descent fine after poor sleep?
A: Hormonal imbalance (cortisol spikes, lower testosterone/GH) hits uphill output hardest. Downhill relies more on eccentric control, which is less sleep-sensitive.

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