Dr. Andy Galpin on Sleep, Strength, and the Hidden Stressors of Performance

In this episode, Dr. Andy Galpin joins Slappin’ Glass for a practical, high-level conversation on basketball performance, recovery, strength training, sleep, travel, and pregame preparation.

Galpin breaks down why improving movement is not just about stretching, mobility work, or lifting weights, but about understanding the physical qualities that allow athletes to move with more range, force, control, and efficiency. The conversation moves from the history of strength training in sport to modern tools for evaluating movement, asymmetries, muscle development, and return-to-play readiness.

A major theme of the episode is recovery. Galpin makes a strong case that sleep is still the most powerful performance tool available to coaches and athletes, especially in-season. He discusses the impact of early practices, late-night games, post-practice downregulation, hydration, fueling, protein synthesis, and how coaches can better organize the schedule before fatigue becomes a problem.

During “Start, Sub, or Sit,” the conversation turns to silent stressors inside a basketball program, including travel, walkthroughs, film, scout prep, pregame warmups, physical contact, and how to prepare players to actually feel ready when the ball goes up. 

What You’ll Learn

•  Why strength training can improve movement, range of motion, and athletic expression when it is designed correctly. 
•  How coaches should think about recovery beyond soreness, including sleep, hydration, refueling, and rebuilding tissue. 
•  Why early-morning practices may be costing teams more than they realize. 
•  How post-practice and postgame downregulation can help athletes transition toward better sleep. 
•  Why travel is one of the biggest hidden stressors on player performance. 
•  How to proactively adjust practice loads around dense parts of the schedule. 
•  What coaches should consider with bus rides, compression gear, movement breaks, and arrival timing. 
•  How to structure pregame warmups around skill feel, physical readiness, movement prep, and contact. 
•  Why players need some level of game-like physicality before tip-off, especially bigs and contact-heavy roles. 
•  How physiology, breathing, CO2 tolerance, and arousal levels connect to focus, decision-making, and emotional regulation.

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