Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Circadian Advantages in Elite Athletes

  • Sleep and Athletic Performance (M Grandner, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Sleep Medicine Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review discusses the opportunities and challenges of training and competing “around the clock.”

Recent Findings

This review focuses on three key areas of study to include: (1) diurnal variation in biologically-driven (circadian-dependent) energy utilization required for aerobic and anaerobic endurance; (2) chronotype and its relationship to athletic performance; and (3) leveraging circadian-driven processes to win “around the clock” and the use of fatigue countermeasures when game time does not align with predicted peaks in athletic performance.

Summary

Thus, a full-scope understanding of circadian-driven substrates and mechanisms can help to optimize performance. All the research presented is thematically based on case studies and actual performance-related issues from professional athletes (quoted throughout the text).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

  1. Watson AM. Sleep and athletic performance. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2017;16(6):413–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Consensus Conference Panel, Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, Bliwise DL, Buxton OM, Buysse D, Dinges DF, Gangswich J, Grander M, Kushida C, Malhotra R, Martin J, Patel S, Quan S, Tasali E. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: a joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. J Clin Sleep Med. 2015;11(6):591–2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Vlahoyiannis A, Aphamis G, Bogdanis GC, Sakkas GK, Andreou E, Giannaki CD (2020). Deconstructing athletes’ sleep: a systematic review of the influence of age, sex, athletic expertise, sport type, and season on sleep characteristics. J Sport and Health Sci. Considerations of age, sex, experience, and sport type (aerobic and anaerobic) for determining the overall impact on sleep health, performance, and risk factors for sleep disorders.

  4. Roberts SSH, Teo WP, Warmington SA. Effects of training and competition on the sleep of elite athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2019;53(8):513–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Roane B, Van Reen E, Hart C, Wing R, Carskadon M. Estimating sleep from multisensory armband measurements: validity and reliability in teens. J Sleep Res. 2015;24(6):714–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Trinder J, Paxton SJ, Montgomery J, Fraser G. Endurance as opposed to power training: their effect on sleep. Psychophysiology. 1985;22(6):668–73.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Thun E, Bjorvatn B, Flo E, Harris A, Pallesen S. Sleep, circadian rhythms, and athletic performance. Sleep Med Rev. 2015;23:1–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Omiya K, Akashi YJ, Yoneyama K, Osada N, Tanabe K, Miyake F. Heart-rate response to sympathetic nervous stimulation, exercise, and magnesium concentration in various sleep conditions. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2009;19(2):127–35.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Trivedi MS, Holger D, Bui AT, Craddock TJ, Tartar JL. Short-term sleep deprivation leads to decreased systemic redox metabolites and altered epigenetic status. PLoS ONE. 2017;12(7):e0181978.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Rao MN, Neylan TC, Grunfeld C, Mulligan K, Schambelan M, Schwarz JM. Subchronic sleep restriction causes tissue-specific insulin resistance. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015;100(4):1664–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Lamia KA, Storch KF, Weitz CJ. Physiological significance of a peripheral tissue circadian clock. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2008;105(39):15172–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Lee A, Galvez JC. Jet lag in athletes. Sports. Health. 2012;4(3):211–6.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Lemmer B, Kern RI, Nold G, Lohrer H. Jet lag in athletes after eastward and westward time-zone transition. Chronobiol Int. 2002;19(4):743–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Waterhouse JA, Edwards B, Nevill A, Carvalho S, Atkinson G, Buckley P, Reilly T, Godfrey R, Ramsay R. Identifying some determinants of “jet lag” and its symptoms: a study of athletes and other travellers. Br J Sports Med. 2002;36(1):54–60.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Yamanaka Y, Hashimoto S, Takasu NN, Tanahashi Y, Nishide SY, Honma S, Honma KI. Morning and evening physical exercise differentially regulate the autonomic nervous system during nocturnal sleep in humans. Am J Physiol-Reg Integrative Comparative Physiol. 2015;309(9):R1112–2112.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Facer-Childs E, Brandstetter R. The impact of circadian phenotype and time since awakening on diurnal performance in athletes. Curr Biol. 2015;25(4):518–22.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Scheer F, Hu K, Evoniuk H, Kelly E, Malhotra A, Hilton M, et al. Impact of the human circadian system, exercise, and their interaction on cardiovascular function. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2010;107(47):20541–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Czeisler C, Duffy J, Shanahan T, Brown E, Mitchell J, Rimmer D, et al. Stability, precision, and near 24-h period of the human circadian pacemaker. Science. 1999;284(5423):2177–81.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Brager A, Demiral S, Choynowski J, Kim J, Campbell B, Capaldi V, et al. Earlier shift in race pacing can predict future performance during a single-effort ultramarathon under sleep deprivation. Sleep Sci. 2020;13(1):25–31.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Kline C, Durstine J, Davis J, Moore T, Devlin T, Zielinski M, et al. Circadian variation in swim performance. J App Physiol. 2007;102(2):641–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Martin L, Nevill A, Thompson K. Diurnal variation in swim performance remains irrespective of training once or twice daily. Int J Sports Physiol Perf. 2007;2(2):192–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Brager AJ, Mistovich RJ. Game times and high winning percentages of west coast teams of the National Football League correspond with reduced prevalence of regular season injury. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(2):462–7 Real-world ecological example from professional sports as to how circadian-driven physiological processes can positively and negatively influence athletic performance and competition outcomes.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Hammouda O, Chtourou H, Chaouachi A, Chahed H, Bellimem H, Chamari K, et al. Time-of-day effects on biochemical responses to soccer-specific endurance in elite Tunisian football players. J Sports Sci. 2013;31(9):1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Blumert P, Crum A, Ernstng M, Volek J, Hollander D, Haff E, et al. The acute effects of twenty-four hours of sleep loss on the performance of national caliber male collegiate weightlifters. J Strength Cond. 2007;21(4):1146–54.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Mora-Rodriguez R, Pallares J, Lopez-Gullon J, Lopez-Samanes A, Fernandez-Elias V, Ortega J. Improvements on neuromuscular performance with caffeine ingestion depend on the time-of-day. J Sci Med Sport. 2015;18(3):338–42 One of few clinical trials conducted in athletes to examine the neurobiological substrates and effective countermeasures that can influence circadian-driven performance advantages and disadvantages.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Souissi N, Gauthier A, Sesboue B, Larue J, Davenne D. Circadian rhythms in two types of anaerobic cycle leg exercise: force velocity and 30 s wingate tests. Physiol Behav. 2004;25(1):14–9.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Pallares J, Lopez-Samanes A, Moreno J, Fernandez-Elias V, Fernando Ortega J, More-Rodriguez R. Circadian rhythm effects on neuromuscular and sprint swimming performance. J Biol Rhy. 2014;45(1):1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  28. M Diego, A Lopez-Samanes, J Munoz, J Pallares, R Mora-Rodriguez, Circadian rhythm effect on neuromuscular performance in trained male players. J Sports Sci (2016) 1466 - 1477.

  29. Bullock N, Martin D, Ross A, Rosemond D, Marino F. Effect of long haul travel on maximal sprint performance and diurnal variations in elite skeleton athletes. Brit J Sports Med. 2007;41(9):573–573.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Youngstedt S, Kline C, Elliott J, Zielinski M, Devlin T, Moore T. Circadian phase-shifting effects of bright light, exercise, and bright light + exercise. J Circadian Rhythms. 2016;14(2):1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Youngstedt S, Elliott J, Kripke D. Human circadian phase-response curves for exercise. J Physiol. 2019;597(8):2253–68.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Stothard ER, et al. Circadian entrainment to the natural light-dark cycle across seasons and the weekend. Curr Biol. 2017;27:508–13.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Lockley S. Safety considerations for the use of blue-light blocking glasses in shift-workers. J Pineal Res. 2007;42(2):210–1.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. A. Brager, G. Simonelli, Current state of sleep-related performance optimization interventions for the E-sports industry, J. Neurosports 1 (1) 1 -4.

  35. Caldelas I, Poirel V, Sicard B, Pvet P, Challet E. Circadian profile and photic regulation of clock genes in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of a diurnal mammal arvicanthis ansorgei. Neuroscience. 2003;116(2):583–91.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Coomans C, van den Berg S, Houben T, Klinken J, van den Berg R, Pronk A. Detrimental effects of constant light exposure and high-fat diet on circadian energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity. FASEB J. 2013;27(4):1721–32.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Mizutani H, Tamagawa-Mineoka R, Minami Y, Yagita K, Katoh N. Constant light exposure impairs immune tolerance development in mice. J Dermatological Sci. 2017;86(1):63–70.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, NC, USA

    Allison J. Brager

  2. Muscle Physiology Lab, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

    Joseph A. Gordon III

  3. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Ashton Rouska

  4. Center for Military Advancement and Emergency Services, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA

    Brian Moore

  5. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Vincent Mysliwiec

Authors
  1. Allison J. Brager
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joseph A. Gordon III
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ashton Rouska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Brian Moore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Vincent Mysliwiec
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Allison J. Brager.

Ethics declarations

Ethics Approval

The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the author, and are not to be construed as official, or as reflecting true views of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense. No human or animal research was conducted to support views of the authors.

Conflict of Interest

VM has served as a consultant for Armed Forces HST, CPAP medical, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Mindstrong, NOCTEM Health and SleepCare Inc. AB has served as a consultant for WHOOP, Inc., FitAid, Inc., Momentous, Inc., and the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Topical Collection on Sleep and Athletic Performance

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Brager, A.J., Gordon, J.A., Rouska, A. et al. Circadian Advantages in Elite Athletes. Curr Sleep Medicine Rep 8, 187–192 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40675-022-00239-0

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40675-022-00239-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation