A natural sleep aid made by CrossFitter for CrossFitter – meet Thirdzy

Photo references: Dr. Justine Luchini

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Like many of us during the pandemic, Thirdzy co-founder Dr. Justine Luchini has become more attuned to her sleep quality, or lack thereof. Instead of just accepting the poor sleep her sleep tracker was telling her she was getting, Dr. Luchini decided to do something about it.

Dr. Luchini wanted to support her natural sleep cycles with a neat supplement that was both effective and safe to use on a regular basis. But she hasn’t found any products that are free of melatonin or CBD. Using her expertise in health sciences and biochemistry, she created her own stack of minerals and amino acids that support healthy sleep. This sleep stack grew into her own product called Thirdzy, which is a holistic sleep support that focuses on improving the fundamental quality of sleep health.

• Even though I was sleeping enough hours, I could not sleep well. So this feeling of waking up in the morning and not feeling rested and feeling super run down all the time, I realized it had less to do with being able to fall asleep and more to do with what was actually happening while I was sleeping, said dr. Luchini, referring to the time period he bought a sleep tracker during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• After thoroughly researching existing supplements for sleep and overnight recovery, Dr. Luchini, (also a CrossFit athlete and former trainer) said she realized there was nothing for people to worry about their physical and mental performance or functional fitness. There was nothing that was formulated to help improve HRV or calm the central nervous system so that you actually see a sustained low in heart rate or breathing during the night, nothing done to do the important job of helping the active recovery processes that occur during sleep.
• He started going down the rabbit hole on the science of sleep and nutrition solving for better sleep and recovery Deeper sleep, more REM sleep, better muscle recovery all lead to better mornings and better workouts. And that led to my little pile of sleeping pills that my husband, Adam and I were taking.
• And, you know, one day Adam [the other Thirdzy co-founder] and I looked at each other and we were like, if we use this and we benefit from it, and it’s something we couldn’t buy, maybe other athletes need it too.

Thirdzy, launched in February 2022, is a powdered drink before bed. It’s a powerful blend of amino acids and nutrients that fuel sleep and recovery. Thirdzy is completely free from sedatives, melatonin and CBD.

Specifically, the powder has a collagen base, which is a very important anabolic building block for your muscles, the connective tissue around your muscles, your joints, and your bones. The most dominant protein parts are all collagen-based, so having it at night when your body is in its most important anabolic state, in that building phase, is really important, said Dr. Luchini.

The main sleep benefit of having collagen as the main ingredient in Thirdzy is the large amount of the amino acid glycine it provides. Collagen is 33% glycine, which studies have shown can help lower your core body temperature, an essential part of deep sleep. Dr. Luchini adds: Other studies have shown that people who take glycine before bed improve the quality of their sleep and report less tiredness during the day.

[Pro tip: If youre already taking collagen, switch to taking it before bed!]

It also has L-Theanine, Magnesium and GABA. They each play slightly different roles in helping the nervous system calm down, helping slow down anxious thoughts, counteracting overstimulation, and reducing sleep disruptions. They naturally support your production of the chemicals your brain needs to support good-quality sleep, said Dr. Luchini.

The attitude towards rest and recovery has really evolved in fitness and Crossfit.

• Luchini earned his L-1 and started coaching in 2013. He has spent a decade witnessing the evolution of the CrossFit athlete: Athletes are now training smarter and really looking for longevity in their training. Even if they are not interested in competing, people are concerned with maintaining their health and function over a long period of time. We know that training is essential to this and, more and more, that the magic really happens when we recover from training. It’s been really nice to see the rest and the catch-up part of the conversation become more important. People understand now that you you can’t do rest days and crush yourself day after day and expect great results or even remain mostly injury-free.
• Good sleep is crucial for your metabolic health. Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, prepare for a competition, or just feel good, ignoring your sleep is ignoring a huge piece of the puzzle. And we figured out how we can provide athletes with nutrients and amino acids that support the actual functional part of sleep so you sleep better, so your fitness can be better, and so you can actually feel great while exercising consistently.

Those who buy Thirdzy should know that taking the powder won’t knock you out and that’s intentional, said Dr. Luchini.

Thirdzy is almost like a pre-workout for your sleep. It really helps you get into the right state to get the most out of the hours you sleep. It won’t do the job for you. It won’t turn off the lights or carve out the eight hours you need, but it will help you get more out of the time you spend doing it.

If you’re interested in trying Thirdzy, Morning Chalk Up readers get a special discount. Use Code: MCUZ For 20% Off Your First Order.