If you are an elite athlete, the time of day you perform can be a critical factor in winning or losing. Most people are at their athletic peak, in terms of speed and strength, in the late afternoon and early evening. Most are at their lowest ebb around 6 a.m. You build up slowly during the day, peak around 6 p.m. and then decline throughout the night. However, there are ways athletes can change their training patterns to peak when it is time to compete.
Circadian Rhythm
The body's circadian rhythm cycles, 24-hour patterns of sleeping, feeding, temperature regulation and hormone secretion, are governed by an internal clock in the brain, which receives light signals through the retinas. A 2007 study by researchers in France and Tunisia, reported in "The Globe and Mail" newspaper, delineated the normal circadian rhythm in regard to athletic performance. Although sleeping and eating patterns have an effect on performance, other patterns are harder to control. Core temperature, for example, rises about 1 degree Centigrade during the day, so you are warmer and more easily stretched out during the late afternoon and early evening, which enhances peak performance.
Adaptation
To train for a morning race, train in the morning. Doing so enables you to slowly alter your circadian rhythm, and the best way to do so is through intense exercise, says Gordon Sleivert, leader of sports science for the Canadian Olympic team. When the dictates of NBC at the 2008 Beijing Olympics led to swimming finals at 10 a.m., Sleivert says, the Canadian team "changed the entire season's schedule to emphasize swimming fast in the morning."
Jet Lag
Athletes who travel nationally or internationally must cope with circadian dysrhythmia -- a fancy name for jet lag -- as well. Jet lag confuses your internal clock. It may be 6 p.m. at night in a foreign country and 6 a.m. at home -- and according to your circadian rhythm. It takes roughly one day to recover for each time zone you cross. Coaches and athletes use elaborate strategies to get circadian rhythms back on track for competition as quickly as possible. Tactics include hydrating on the plane; social interaction following landing -- those who interact with the locals adapt more quickly; staying awake long enough to get on local time; exposure to direct sunshine; and a light training schedule the first few days. Usually, performance levels return to normal after international travel in about seven days.
Considerations
At the 2008 Olympics, Canadian swimmers not only adjusted their training schedules, but their pre-race routines as well. Since the finals were held in the morning, at a time when core temperatures are low, coaches switched from one to two warmups. Swimmers did a short warmup before breakfast and then a second warmup before the race. By making large and small adjustments, you can achieve a peak or near-peak performance regardless of the time of day.
References
- "The Globe and Mail"; When is the Best Time of Day to Work Out?; Alex Hutchinson; Sept. 15, 2010
- American Swimming Coaches Association News; The Traveling Athlete; Chelsea R. Warr
- United States Tennis Association: Exercise Physiology: Does Time of Day Impact Performance?
- MD Sports Weblog: Peak Athletic Performance Related to Time of Day
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