The site provides reference information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Consultation with a specialist is required!

General information

Melatonin is natural hormone body responsible for regulating the cycle of sleep and wakefulness. It is thanks to the pineal gland, a tiny pea-sized formation located in the center of the brain, that from time to time we want to fall asleep. Melatonin is released cyclically, helping the body regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Its amount decreases with age, and it is suspected that this is the reason why young people are less likely to suffer from sleep problems than older people.

What are the benefits of melatonin?

Research shows that low doses of melatonin help improve sleep, making it easier to survive a long plane flight or jet lag, without the side effects associated with sleeping pills. It also helps improve overall health, strengthens the immune system and quickly reduces the number of free radicals in body tissues.

There are currently many scientific studies being conducted on melatonin. They are associated with its antioxidant properties and effect on immunity. However, the exact mechanism of action of melatonin in the human body is not yet known in detail, and requires a number of further studies.

Who benefits the most?

These are, first of all, travelers who are struggling with the effects of jet lag, as well as people suffering from insomnia.
The optimal dose varies individually. According to various studies, good results were achieved from taking melatonin in amounts from 0.1 to 200 mg! Controlled medical studies have concluded that even a tenth of a milligram (0.1 mg or 100 mcg) helps you fall asleep easily at any time of the day. Thus, you should start with a very low dose of melatonin taken at night before bed (for example, 0.1 mg), and increase this dose each night until the desired effect is achieved.

What are mg (milligram) and mcg (microgram), and what is the difference between these units?

Microgram and milligram are units of weight representing a certain fraction of a gram:

• 1 mcg = 1 microgram = one millionth of a gram (1/1000000);
• 1 mg = 1 milligram = one thousandth of a gram (1/1000);
• 1 mg = 1000 mcg.

The 1.5 mg tablet contains five times the dose of melatonin compared to the 300 mcg tablet (0.3 mg).

Side effects

Research shows that 10% of people who take melatonin do not experience any benefit from it. Another 10% reported side effects such as nightmares, headaches, increased morning tiredness, mild depression and decreased sex drive. Other studies that used doses of melatonin 600 to 3000 times higher than normal found no evidence of toxicity.

Additional effects

In animal studies, melatonin has been shown to have a cytoprotective effect, strengthen the immune system and slow the growth of some tumors. Experiments on mice have shown that melatonin can slow down the aging process. However, the extent to which these results can be extrapolated to humans is still unclear. Some experts are concerned that so many people are experimenting with such a powerful substance because the long-term effects of taking large doses of melatonin are still unclear. Even a dose as low as one milligram, which many manufacturers present as the lowest dose possible, is still three times more than the total amount of total melatonin produced in the body in a day.

Contraindications

Because the effects of high doses of melatonin on unborn children and infants are still unclear, it should not be taken by pregnant or breastfeeding women. Since this hormone stimulates the immune system, it is not recommended for people prone to allergies and suffering from autoimmune diseases. Children should also avoid large doses of melatonin because their bodies already produce large doses of this hormone on their own. High doses may have a contraceptive effect, so women who want to have children should not take melatonin preparations.

Life extension

Currently, there are no studies proving a direct link between melatonin intake and human life expectancy. However, in rats and mice, lifespan can be increased by 20%. If the use of this hormone does lead to a longer and healthier life, then this is most likely due to:
1. Reducing the amount of free radicals in the body, which stimulate the aging of the immune system;
2. Protective effect on the cardiovascular system
3. Increased secretion of growth hormone.

Melatonin deficiency as a cause of early aging - video

Does Melatonin Improve Sex Life?

This hypothesis has not yet been confirmed in humans. A rodent study dating back to 1995, however, suggests that frequent consumption of small amounts of melatonin may prevent the age-related decline in testosterone production in men, and thus help maintain an active sex life into old age.

Can you be poisoned by melatonin?

Melatonin is one of the least toxic substances. In carefully controlled medical studies, doses of melatonin as high as 6 grams (600 to 3,000 times the normal dose) did not result in any symptoms of toxicity. Overall, there are only four known cases of significant side effects from melatonin in the world. Minor but more common side effects are drowsiness and decreased reaction speed. The largest study to identify side effects was conducted in the Netherlands. It involved 1,400 women who received 75 mg of the drug per day. None experienced any serious side effects. Now in this country, melatonin is available in pharmacies without a prescription and, despite this, there have been no reports of its abnormal effects.

What time should I take it?

Melatonin should only be taken in the evening, about 30 minutes before bed. To avoid the effects of jet lag, it is taken right before the plane takes off. The drug should not be taken during the day - otherwise you can simply throw off your “internal clock”.

Does melatonin cause lethargy and sleepiness in the morning?

No, you will wake up fresh and full of energy in the morning after taking melatonin. But if you still feel tired in the morning, the evening dose of melatonin should be adjusted downward.

Methods for obtaining the hormone

Natural, animal or bovine melatonin is produced by obtaining extracts from the pineal gland of animals. Because these extracts are extracted from tissues that are foreign to the body, it can trigger an immune response in humans. In this regard, such drugs are recommended to be used very carefully.

The best drug is considered to be one made in a factory from pharmaceutically pure ingredients. The molecular structure of this melatonin is identical to the structure of the hormone produced by the body itself. In addition, it is absolutely free from any contamination.

Most people are familiar with melatonin as a dietary supplement that helps them fall asleep easier. But it has another, more interesting effect for a bodybuilder. Melatonin promotes muscle growth.

Are you suffering from insomnia? Take melatonin. Are you planning to fly to the other side of the world and want to get a good night's sleep on the plane? Take some melatonin with you. Are you into bodybuilding and want to gain as much meat as possible? Take melatonin?!

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone whose release follows circadian rhythms ( internal clock) of the body and helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. This is why taking melatonin as a dietary supplement is traditionally recommended for those who have trouble sleeping or those who need to adjust to a new time zone.

However, scientific research also shows that taking melatonin before exercise promotes muscle growth, fat loss and recovery. However, its effect on the feeling of vigor and energy is minimal.

Melatonin as an antioxidant

Intense physical activity increases oxidative stress. Research shows that antioxidants taken before exercise can boost performance and improve recovery.

Over the past two decades, scientists have discovered that melatonin is one of the most active antioxidants. In fact, it is twice as active as vitamin E and enhances the activity of other antioxidants.

A recent study conducted at the University of Seville Medical School in Spain examined the effects of melatonin on oxidative stress, immunity and lipid metabolism. The athletes took 6 mg melatonin or placebo 30 minutes before completing a one-hour intense workout.

At the end of the experiment, scientists came to the conclusion that Melatonin intake increases the total antioxidant activity of blood plasma and reduces oxidative stress, provoked by physical activity. Additionally, they noted that those who took melatonin experienced increased lipid metabolism during exercise and improved immunity.

In addition to increasing oxidative stress, prolonged and intense exercise signals the body to release factors that increase muscle pain and cause significant damage to muscle tissue. As a result of the development of inflammatory processes during training, many note a decrease in performance, training intensity and the need to increase recovery time between classes.

Research published in "Journal of Pineal Studies", was designed to investigate whether melatonin supplementation could reduce the oxidative and inflammatory responses caused by intense physical activity. A group of experienced endurance athletes took melatonin or a placebo for three days before a grueling 50-kilometer race in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Spain.

The athletes took 3 mg melatonin at dinner for 2 days before the race, according to 3 mg at breakfast, lunch and dinner the day before the race and 3 mg an hour before the race. Blood and urine samples taken before and immediately after the race were analyzed for several markers of inflammation and oxidative stress.

The study authors concluded that oral melatonin intake before high-intensity physical activity was effective in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Overall, these improvements protect muscles from damage, thereby promoting better adaptation to training load.

Melatonin as an anabolic booster

After a hard workout, the body experiences a surge in hormonal responses that increase anabolism, leading to increases in strength, performance, and, over time, muscle size. One of the most important hormones released during this recovery period is growth hormone.

As the name suggests, growth hormone regulates muscle growth and also reduces body fat mass. The secretion of growth hormone, like melatonin, is subject to the body's internal clock. The greatest amount of it is released from the anterior pituitary gland at the beginning of the deep sleep phase. Research shows that taking up to 5 mg of melatonin at bedtime or throughout the day increases blood levels of growth hormone. There appears to be a connection between the level of melatonin in the blood and the secretion of growth hormone.

Melatonin may also influence growth hormone secretion in response to endurance and resistance training. A study conducted in the UK and published in "European Journal of Endocrinology" in 1999, showed that the reception 5 mg melatonin an hour before a short, moderate-intensity cycling session resulted in a significant increase in growth hormone compared to the placebo group.

Eight years later, scientists from Baylor University in Texas reported that trained men 5 mg melatonin an hour before a leg workout increased growth hormone levels both pre- and post-exercise, compared to participants in the placebo group. Moreover, even in subjects who took 0.5 mg melatonin, there was an increase in growth hormone levels after exercise.

Together, these studies support the idea of ​​using melatonin to increase growth hormone secretion and increase muscle mass.

How to take melatonin?

It is clear that melatonin is an excellent dietary supplement for improving oxidative status, increasing growth hormone secretion and quality of night sleep. You need to take it in dosage 0.5 to 5 mg 30-60 minutes before training and just before going to bed. On rest days from training, take your “pre-workout dose” at the same time.

Our body is controlled by hormones - they are responsible for vital processes and our mood. Each hormone is responsible for specific tasks. As a result, the normal and correct operation of all systems and organs is ensured - without interruption. The sleep hormone Melatonin is an important component in a whole chain of complex and necessary physiological processes.

Main effects of taking the sleep hormone

In fact, Melatonin is not only actively involved in processes related to sleep, but also performs many other functions during the life of the body.

1. While taking the drug, there is an impressive effect on metabolism. The same applies to the functioning of the endocrine system as a whole.

2. The pressure stabilizes.

3. Immunity is restored and even improved, which means you will suffer less from various ailments, especially colds.

4. This antioxidant is an active fighter against free radicals, which are quite dangerous.

5. Excellent protection against cancer.

6. Actively regulates full-fledged brain activity.

7. Taking the product ensures uninterrupted functioning of the body when changing climate and time zone.

8. Although this fact has not been fully proven, many people note that while taking Melatonin, the aging of the body slows down and it rejuvenates.

9. In case of insomnia, the sleep hormone Melatonin restores the rhythm of sleep. Falling asleep becomes much easier. In addition, the internal biological clock is restored and sleepiness during the day is eliminated.

10. Headaches disappear.

11. Blood cholesterol levels decrease.

12. Sexual activity is prolonged, the manifestations of menopausal syndrome are stopped.

13. The drug significantly increases potency.

What functions can Melatonin perform?

1. Antioxidant.

2. Hormonal.

The main effect of the drug is the ability to regulate sleep. The older a person is, the more difficult it is for him to fall asleep normally. The whole point is a decrease in the activity of the pineal gland, as a result of which sleep becomes restless, superficial, and insomnia occurs, quite often. If you take the drug, you can eliminate this condition and restore biorhythms in the body. At the same time, instead of frequent lack of sleep, full sleep will appear - healthy, deep. This means that it becomes possible to normalize the correct functionality of all systems and organs. In addition, the muscle tissue is now relaxed, and the nervous system is in perfect order - calmed to a normal level. Brain activity is also in perfect order - retrieving any information will not pose any special problems and will not cause discomfort. As a result, you will always feel cheerful and confident, energy and health are guaranteed.

And the sleep hormone Melatonin affects the regulation of the menstrual cycle, which is very important for every representative of the fairer sex. If you decide to take the product as a special supplement, then it is completely safe. The main thing is that the dosages are not excessive. Otherwise, increased drowsiness and a slower reaction of the body are possible. If the drug is taken in the correct dosage, which can only be selected by a doctor based on diagnosis, then there will be no adverse reactions - rest assured. But with uncontrolled use, the risk always exists, which means you should not choose the course and its duration on your own.

Melatonin as a sports nutrition

Do you have problems falling asleep? Then this tool will solve such problems very quickly. As a result, excellent well-being is ensured. And now you will be extremely concentrated. Thanks to long and restful sleep, the athlete will quickly recover and be able to train efficiently. During sleep, the body burns fat deposits. If you sleep little, you eat a lot. According to research, people who sleep less than seven to nine hours a night eat more food.

Sleep hormone Melatonin – how to cope with low levels?

1. Get rid of such a bad habit as smoking. The same goes for drinking alcohol and drinking too much coffee.

2. You should go to bed at the same time - no later than half past ten in the evening, and you should not forget to ventilate the bedroom well before this.

3. Sports is an important component. Training should be regular and last from one hour per day.

4. Take a bath before bed. Be sure to add sea salt there. Don't forget to do some light stretching exercises.

5. Remove the TV from the bedroom. The same goes for the computer.

6. Eat foods containing Melatonin.

Melatonin - possible side effects

Firstly, let us immediately clarify that this can only happen with excessive doses, so you should definitely consult with a specialist regarding the dosage and duration of the drug administration cycle. Secondly, before taking the product, be sure to carefully read the instructions to avoid overdose.

In the first days of use, apathy and headaches are possible. Disorders in the gastrointestinal tract and skin rashes are not excluded. Remember that the benefits of taking the drug impressively outweigh the harm from it, and such problems arise quite rarely. The main thing is to keep everything under control and consult with a specialist.

Sleep hormone Melatonin – an active assistant in the fight against stress

The human body has the ability to self-regulate under negative, stressful conditions. The pineal gland is an important element for protecting the body from stress. Melatonin plays an important role here as a factor that relates to nonspecific protection. During times of stress, negative emotions come out. Thanks to Melatonin they are weakened.

Melatonin and sleep

One of the main actions of melatonin is to regulate sleep. Melatonin is the main component of the body's pacemaker system. It takes part in the creation of the circadian rhythm: it directly affects cells and changes the level of secretion of other hormones and biologically active substances, the concentration of which depends on the time of day. The effect of the light cycle on the rhythm of melatonin secretion is shown in observations of blind people. Most of them exhibit rhythmic secretion of the hormone, but with a freely varying period that differs from the daily cycle (25-hour cycle compared to 24-hour daily). That is, in humans, the rhythm of melatonin secretion has the form of a circadian melatonin wave, “freely running” in the absence of a change in light-dark cycles. A shift in the rhythm of melatonin secretion also occurs when flying across time zones.

The role of the pineal gland and epiphyseal melatonin in the daily and seasonal rhythms, sleep-wake patterns seems undeniable today. In diurnal (daytime) animals (including humans), the secretion of melatonin by the pineal gland coincides with the usual hours of sleep. Studies have shown that an increase in melatonin levels is not a mandatory signal for the onset of sleep. In most subjects, taking physiological doses of melatonin caused only a mild sedative effect and reduced reactivity to common environmental stimuli.

With age, the activity of the pineal gland decreases, so the amount of melatonin decreases, sleep becomes superficial and restless, and insomnia is possible. Melatonin helps eliminate insomnia, prevents disruption of the body's daily routine and biorhythm. Insomnia and lack of sleep give way to healthy and deep sleep, which relieves fatigue and irritability. During calm, deep sleep, the functioning of all internal organs and systems in the body is normalized, muscles relax, the nervous system rests, and the brain has time to process the information accumulated during the day. As a result, the person feels cheerful and healthy.

Disturbances in the normal mode of melatonin production are associated with circadian rhythm disorders and pathologies such as: jet lag; insomnia caused by shift work schedules; weekend insomnia; delayed sleep phase syndrome and others.

Antioxidant effect

Melatonin neutralizes the destructive effects of oxidative processes, which are the main cause of aging and aging of the skin. The most important function of melatonin is antioxidant activity, which manifests itself throughout the body, since melatonin penetrates into all organs and tissues. The mechanism of antioxidant action is manifested in the fact that melatonin has a pronounced ability to bind free radicals, including hydroxyl radicals formed during lipid peroxidation, and exogenous carcinogens; it also activates glutathione peroxidase, a factor that protects the body from free radical damage. The main functions of the antioxidant action of melatonin are aimed at protecting DNA. To a lesser extent on the protection of proteins and lipids.

Melatonin is the most powerful endogenous free radical scavenger known. In recent years, evidence has emerged that melatonin can be localized not only in plasma, but also in cell nuclei and protect nuclear macromolecules from oxidative damage in all subcellular structures.

Antitumor effect

In the early stages of embryonic development, biogenic amines, including melatonin, play the role of specialized cell signaling molecules that regulate cellular renewal processes. It has been established that melatonin can suppress cell proliferation, and the strength of its effect is not inferior to the powerful cytotoxic agent colchicine. In a number of studies on laboratory animals and in tumor tissue culture systems, it was found that melatonin has an antitumor, oncostatic effect. The mechanisms of melatonin's effect on tumor growth are diverse: it can influence the synthesis and secretion of pituitary and sex hormones, can modulate the immune response in the presence of tumor cells and have a direct cytotoxic effect. There are suggestions that melatonin may enhance the expression of adhesion molecules and thereby prevent tumor growth, since it is known that in most malignant tumors there are disturbances in cell adhesion and defects in functional intercellular connections.

Melatonin metabolite significantly positively correlates with a reliable marker of proliferative activity of tumor cells - proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). This indicator reflects the degree of tumor progression, that is, melatonin metabolites can serve as a reliable diagnostic factor. Under the influence of melatonin, in some forms of cancer (breast, ovarian, prostate, etc.), a decrease in the proliferative capacity of cells was observed and an increase in the number of cells dying in the form of apoptosis (oncostatic effect). Nuclear receptors of cancer cells can serve as a target for the implementation of the antitumor effects of melatonin.

Experiments have shown the suppression of melanoma cell growth by melatonin, although the effect of the hormone depended on the intensity of tumor proliferation: growth was inhibited at moderate, but not at high cell proliferative activity. The effects of melatonin were dose-dependent, but the mechanism of oncostatic action is currently still not fully understood. Epidemiological data indicate that women working night shifts, aviation employees (flight attendants, air traffic controllers), radio and telegraph operators have an increased risk of developing breast cancer, while in women who are primarily blind (that is, having light deprivation), this risk is 2 times less.

Anti-stress effect

After experiments and direct clinical observations, the concept was formulated that the pineal gland and its hormone melatonin are part of the body's defense system against adverse effects. The pineal gland and melatonin play a nonspecific role, but pineal gland support is provided at all levels of stress management. In the case of a prolonged stressful situation, a two-phase reaction is observed: an initial decline in epiphyseal activity in the resistant phase of stress with a further sharp rise. In experiments on rats, it was shown that melatonin is able to change a negative emotional state and reduce anxiety, which is provoked by various stressors. According to numerous observations, the hormone stabilizes the activity of various endocrine systems disorganized by stress, including eliminating excess stress adrenal hypercortisolism.

Immunostimulating effect

An important consequence of long-term stress is stress-induced immunodeficiency. Melatonin helps normalize immunological parameters.

Melatonin and other epiphyseal hormones can be classified as geroprotective. A connection has been established between the degree of age-related involution of the pineal gland and tissue deterioration. It is known that with aging, the degree of immunological protection decreases, and melatonin, as has been repeatedly indicated, has immunomodulatory activity.

Melatonin stimulates the immune system (immunostimulant) as it participates in the regulation of thymus and thyroid function, increasing the activity of T cells and phagocytes, which is a warning for a number of diseases and, as laboratory studies show, slows the growth of seven types of cancer cells, including cancer cells mammary and prostate glands.

Lack of melatonin in the body

Experiments on laboratory animals showed that with a lack of melatonin caused by the removal of receptors, the animals began to age faster: menopause began earlier, free radical cell damage accumulated, insulin sensitivity decreased, obesity and cancer developed.

Main functions

• Regulates the activity of the endocrine system, blood pressure, sleep frequency
• Regulates seasonal rhythms in many animals
• Slows down the aging process
• Enhances the effectiveness of the immune system
• Has antioxidant properties
• Affects adaptation processes when changing time zones

In addition, melatonin is involved in the regulation

• blood pressure,
• functions of the digestive tract,
• work of brain cells.

Our muscles grow not during training in the gym, but during night sleep. When we sleep, the body recovers and gains strength for a new date with the barbell. But besides this, at night the body produces the same growth hormone that triggers the processes of gaining muscle mass and breaking down fat. However, he is very picky and timid, so he gets to work only during deep and restful sleep. But for this, our body needs melatonin, the sleep hormone, which makes night rest healthy, mass-gaining and even rejuvenating. Read about the benefits of melatonin in bodybuilding and more in my article.

A short introduction

For the first time about melatonin, how safe sleeping pills, I found out while watching one of the episodes of the Top Gear program, which I really love. Its permanent presenter, Richard Hammond, complained of problems with sleep due to the fact that the program had to be filmed in countries with different time zones. And it was melatonin, the sleep hormone, that was recommended to him by F1 pilots who were faced with a similar problem, to adjust his usual time rhythm and eliminate insomnia.

But since I never had problems with sleep, I heard about melatonin and happily forgot. I only remembered it when I started using it to gain muscle mass. And everything would be fine, but all pre-workout complexes, as well as the composition, necessarily include caffeine and other central nervous system stimulants.

And when I drank a portion of the pre-workout complex before going to the gym, the training to gain weight went perfectly, but I only managed to fall asleep with great difficulty. And then I remembered melatonin. But since manufacturers call it the very, very safe sleeping pill, then I decided to find out more about him. And here's what I found out...

What is melatonin?

Melatonin is A sleep hormone produced naturally by our bodies in response to dim light. Melatonin, in general, is extremely sensitive to the level of light; reducing it stimulates its activity, and bright light, on the contrary, suppresses it. Studies conducted in a Swiss sleep quality laboratory have documented that even the glow of electronic devices at night has a negative effect on melatonin levels.

Responsible for the production of the sleep hormone is the pineal gland or, as it is also called, the epophysis. This gland has long been considered an “extra” appendage, since its purpose remained a mystery to science. But studies conducted between 1959 and 1969, involving people who had lost the epiphysis, revealed that the absence of this “useless” gland has a very sad effect on health. People without the epiphysis lost the ability to sleep, suffered from fatigue, grew old quickly and often died from cancer.

Melatonin is a regulator of the depth and duration of night sleep

It turned out that thanks to the pineal gland, which produces the sleep hormone, our body can fall asleep. Melatonin is a regulator of the depth and duration of night sleep, it lowers body temperature and slows down many processes in the body, giving the body rest and recovery. But besides this, melatonin has many more beneficial properties, because it:

• Helps the body quickly adapt to time zone changes
• Regulates the functioning of the heart muscle and normalizes blood pressure
• Improves the functioning of the hormonal system
• Slows down the aging process (protects DNA at the cellular level)
• Accelerates recovery after physical activity, relieves pain
• Improves the functioning of brain cells, slows down the progression of Alzheimer's disease
• Boosts immunity
• Reduces insulin levels

Melatonin is one of the most important hormones produced by our body and its importance cannot be underestimated. However, you need to understand that we create healthy sleep for ourselves. Working late, mobile devices, alcohol or caffeinated drinks impair the process of falling asleep, making sleep restless and shallow.

Conclusion: Melatonin is an extremely important hormone for living a long, healthy life. But in order for it to be produced by the body in sufficient quantities, a number of efforts must be made.

Melatonin in products

Melatonin plays a significant role in the life of any person, and for an athlete it is doubly important. Therefore, you can buy melatonin at any sports nutrition store. But before we talk about drugs containing the sleep hormone, let me talk about melatonin in products nutrition. The hit parade of melatonin products looks like this:

• Sour cherry. Champion of melatonin products
• Natural whole milk from night milking
• Walnuts and almonds
• Ginger
• Rice, corn porridge, whole oatmeal
• Bananas. Moreover, the greener the banana, the more melatonin it contains.
• Turkey
• Tomatoes

As you can see, melatonin is found in the most common foods. It makes sense that most of them should be present in the daily diet of anyone who wants to live a long and healthy life. This is especially true for older people, since the level of melatonin production begins to decline from the age of 35, and this process intensifies every year.

However, you need to understand that melatonin in products It does not contain enough to radically increase the level of the sleep hormone in the body. And some of them are not worth eating at night. Especially when you're trying to lose weight, exercise vigorously, and eat a low-carb diet.

But if you eat foods high in melatonin regularly, you can really improve your night's rest. As nutritionists assure, only two glasses of cherry juice a day will ensure deep and sound sleep. All you need to do is find natural cherry juice, without sugar and preservatives, or fresh fresh milk.

Fresh milk is the second highest melatonin content food product

Conclusion: Products with melatonin definitely need to be included in your diet. For an ordinary person who regularly uses them, this is quite enough to improve the quality of sleep. But people leading an active lifestyle, especially in the afternoon, need to take additional melatonin.

Melatonin in bodybuilding

It may seem to you that I called melatonin the ruler of the night hormones, for the sake of a nice word, since the main hormones in bodybuilding, responsible for gaining muscle mass, are considered to be somatropin (growth hormone) and testosterone. But the same somatropin is produced at night, its amount in the body reaches its highest level an hour after falling asleep.

And although testosterone is produced throughout the day, it is after a full night’s rest, at 6-8 o’clock in the morning, that its highest level is recorded. In other words, good sleep is the key to great muscle mass, so bodybuilding melatonin is not just an important, but a determining hormone that provides conditions for the successful synthesis of somatropin and testosterone.

Melatonin is the most important hormone in bodybuilding

In general, performing light physical exercises always has a beneficial effect on improving sleep, since they improve the functioning of the structures of the hypothalamic-pituitary system of the brain. But since most people go to the gym not to exercise, but to gain muscle mass or lose weight, training for them, in any case, is a stressful situation.

Taking caffeine-containing sports supplements, coupled with increased mental concentration and late physical activity, creates that unpleasant triumvirate that worsens the process of night rest when working on weight. Negatively affects the quality of sleep and... A brain deprived of a source of energy, an overexcited nervous system, plus a stomach demanding food. Here are the reasons for poor sleep against the background of the event.

Weight training is a heavy load on the nervous system.

In both the first and second cases, poor sleep quality can have a bad effect on both muscle growth and getting rid of fat deposits. You can use the most expensive ones, but if sleep is restless and intermittent, gaining muscle mass, as well as losing weight, will only be a dream.

And since the issue of healthy sleep is important not only in bodybuilding, but also in other sports, especially Olympic ones, scientists have conducted experiments with melatonin more than once. In 2001, a group of Spanish researchers conducted experiments involving two groups of young weightlifters. They were given 10 mg of melatonin per day 30 minutes before bedtime for one month.

According to the results of the study, these athletes showed an increase in the activity of the parasympathetic system, which is responsible for the quality of sleep and the course of recovery processes in the body.

All this naturally affected the improvement of sports results. Moreover, from athletes taking melatonin there were no reports of lethargy, drowsiness and apathy during the day, as was previously the case when testing other safe sleeping pills.

But besides improving night sleep, melatonin is worth using in bodybuilding for another important reason. In 2014, scientists, again from Spain, but together with colleagues from the United States, published a scientific report that stated that melatonin promotes the appearance of special lipid cells, the so-called beige fat, which helps to utilize excess calories. And if it is desirable to use melatonin in bodybuilding when gaining muscle mass, then in the process of losing weight, it is even necessary.

Conclusion: melatonin is simply necessary in bodybuilding. It significantly improves the recovery process after heavy physical activity and improves overall well-being. And its function, which enhances the fat burning process, makes the sleep hormone an indispensable supplement for weight loss.

Melatonin for women

The use of melatonin for women is justified at any age, but at the onset of menopause, the need for it becomes critical. After 40 years, the percentage of muscle mass in the body of both men and women decreases, while fat mass, on the contrary, increases. And this is almost always accompanied by a decrease in bone density.

Scientists from Denmark came up with the idea of ​​using melatonin for women in the fight against the manifestations of aging in the body. They selected for this experiment a group of women with low muscle mass aged 41 to 55 years. And for 12 months they were given melatonin in a dosage of 1 to 3 mg per day. At the same time, no one provided them with any recommendations regarding lifestyle, sports, and the women lived their usual lives.

When the results of women taking melatonin were compared with a control group taking a placebo, it turned out that their muscle mass increased by an average of 2.5% over the year, and the amount of fat decreased by 7.2%. When scientists analyzed the results, they came to the following conclusions:

• Body fat decreased due to increased lipid metabolism, increased glucose absorption and a simultaneous decrease in insulin levels.
• Muscle mass increased because women who used melatonin slept better, recovered faster, and were more physically active as a result.

But besides these purely physiological aspects that influence body composition, melatonin for women has an important effect on slowing down the aging process. To me, the situation with melatonin for women is very reminiscent of a similar situation with collagen, which is responsible for the strength of bones, ligaments, tendons, as well as for the health of skin, hair and nails. Both of these substances, collagen and melatonin, are produced by our body, but with age the level of their production decreases.

But instead of increasing the amount of products containing collagen, or, as in our case, melatonin in their diet, the vast majority of women prefer expensive cosmetics and procedures. I talked more about foods high in collagen in my article

But cosmetic products are called that because they only support external beauty; real beauty, like health, begins from within. This was a small digression, but let's get back directly to the topic of conversation.

Back in 2001, American scientists from the Department of Cellular and Structural Biology at the University of Texas (Burkhardt S, Reiter RJ, Tan DX and Acuña-Castroviejo D) published a report on the topic: “Damage to molecules by free radicals. The effect of melatonin on the protection of the central nervous system." It stated that melatonin is a strong antioxidant that stabilizes cell membranes and minimizes oxidative processes occurring in the body.

Melatonin helps our body resist cell damage and actively fights the effects of free radicals. And they, who do not yet know, negatively affect all vital processes of the body, significantly accelerating the aging process, starting with the skin.

In other words, using melatonin for women gives them a chance to keep their skin firm and healthy for a long time. And if you add collagen here, this process can be slowed down even more.

Conclusion: melatonin for women during menopause can slow down the aging process, which makes its use not only logical, but even necessary.

How to take melatonin, side effects,harm of melatonin

1. Harm of melatonin

As often happens in life, along with advantages there are always disadvantages. But in the case of melatonin, the situation is different. The harm of melatonin, which you can read about on the Internet, is due to the method of obtaining it. Natural melatonin is obtained by extracting from the epiphysis of large horned animals, which is why it is also called “bovine.” It is used for medical purposes and is not commercially available.

Since the sleep hormone obtained in this natural way contains viruses and bacteria, the consequences of taking it can really have unpleasant consequences. Melatonin, which is sold in pharmacies, is a synthetic analogue of the human hormone, produced pharmaceutically.

2. Side effects of melatonin

Clinical trials conducted over two years did not reveal any health problems in people who took it constantly and in large quantities. The research results also established:

• approximately 10% of people who use melatonin do not get any benefit from it
• Another 8% of people who took part in drug trials reported headaches, increased heart rate, nightmares, difficulty waking up and mild depression.
• There were no signs of intoxication of the body, even when using a dose of melatonin 3000 times higher than the norm.

Melatonin is a drug, which is not recommended for use during pregnancy and lactation, patients with epilepsy, autoimmune diseases and children under 12 years of age.

3. How to take melatonin

You need to take melatonin in the evening before bed, 30-40 minutes before bed, preferably at the same time. There is no point in using this hormone to improve the quality of daytime sleep. This causes a shift in circadian sleep rhythms and greatly impairs the body's sensitivity to insulin, which in turn provokes the growth of adipose tissue. The recommended dosage for improving sleep quality is 1-6 mg. Personally, I take 6 mg or two melatonin tablets after a gym workout and recover great.

But since the amount of melatonin synthesis is a purely individual indicator, it is better to select the dose of the drug experimentally, starting from the minimum value. If you find it difficult to wake up, this will be a sign that you have gone too far with the amount of melatonin. And if, on the contrary, there is a lack of sleep and poor recovery, the dose of the sleep hormone can be increased.

As I said earlier, you can buy melatonin in all sports nutrition stores. Almost every manufacturer has a sports supplement with growth hormone in its range. But I prefer to buy melatonin at the pharmacy, since there it belongs to a group of medications, the quality, composition and clinical effectiveness of which are strictly regulated, and melatonin in sports stores is sold as a dietary supplement.

I have nothing against dietary supplements, but since I want to be sure of the quality and safety of what I take, I still go to the pharmacy to buy melatonin. There are not very many medications containing melatonin; they differ from each other only in dosage and, accordingly, price. And to conclude my story, I suggest you watch a short video that gives five simple tips for increasing melatonin levels naturally:

Conclusion: melatonin is the most safe sleeping pill, which has a lot of advantages and a minimum of side effects. And the potential harm of melatonin is due only to the form of its production from animal sources.

Don't take my story as an advertisement. I’m just sharing my experience of taking this drug and telling why I do it. I hope my story about melatonin, the master of night hormones, will be useful to you and help improve the quality of your night's rest. May the force be with you. And the mass!