Head up sleeping increases red blood cell volume🩸

Sleeping position might make you a better endurance athlete.

Did You Know: Erythropoiesis Is Regulated by Changes in Posture

Study Details

This new study investigated the effects of sleeping with either…

1️⃣ Head-up sleeping position (HUS) - 6% tilt up

2️⃣ Horizontal sleeping position (CON)

…on erythropoiesis and red blood cell volume over a 5-week period 💤

Here is what they found ⬇️

Key Findings

There were no differences between sleeping positions in…

⏰ Time spent in bed

💤 Sleep quality

🩸 Plasma EPO

🩸 Blood pressure

However, red blood cell volume (RBCV) significantly increased in the HUS condition by 105 ml 📈

👉 Alongside a significant increase in total haemoglobin mass (+36 g)

Conclusion

This improvement in RBCV is comparable to similar duration altitude interventions ✅

There were only 9 male participants who completed both conditions in this study, so it’s quite small scale, but pretty cool nonetheless 🔍

Reference

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/apha.70248

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