Chronobiology and physical performance in sport "the biological clock"
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v73.117666Keywords:
Cortisol, chronobiology, sport, strength, melatonin, body temperatureAbstract
Introduction: Chronobiology, the discipline that studies biological rhythms, has shown that the time of day when physical activity is performed has a significant influence on athletic performance.
Objective: This systematic review aims to analyze the current state of research on the contribution of chronobiology to sports and its benefits for athletes, sportspeople, and individuals who engage in high-intensity exercise.
Methodology: The search included articles published between 2015 and 2025. To this end, databases without language restrictions were utilized, yielding 296 articles in the initial search.
Results: A total of 14 studies were finally selected based on the methodological process, considering the variables of chronobiology, sport, strength, and body temperature.
Conclusions: Studies on chronobiology and sports demonstrate that training programs informed by knowledge of circadian rhythms are a crucial tool for enhancing athletic performance and mitigating the risk of fatigue and injury.
References
Anderson, T., Vrshek-Schallhorn, S., Adams, WM et al. The effect of intense exercise on cortisol response upon awakening. Eur J Appl Physiol 123, 1027–1039 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-023-05132-4
Asmat Inostrosa, Marita del Pilar, De La Torre Robles, José Manuel, Casares Del Rio, María Victoria, & Espadas Lazo, Carmen. (2018). Night work and breast cancer in healthcare personnel. Journal of the Spanish Association of Occupational Medicine Specialists, 27(3), 141-149. Epub December 28, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2025, from http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S3020-11602018000300141&lng=es&tlng=es.
Atkinson, G., Reilly, T. Circadian variation in athletic performance. Sports Med 21, 292–312 (1996). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199621040-00005
Ayala, V., Martínez-Bebia, M., Latorre, JA, Giménez-Blasi, N., Jiménez-Casquet, MJ, Conde-Pipo, J., … Ma-riscal-Arcas, M. (2021). Influence of circadian rhythms on athletic performance. International Chronobiology, 38 (11), 1522-1536. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2021.1933003
Bambaeichi, E., Reilly, T., Cable, NT, & Giacomoni, M. (2004). Isolated and combined effects of mens-trual cycle phase and time of day on muscle strength in eumenorrheic women. Chronobiology International, 21(4–5), 645–660. https://doi.org/10.1081/CBI-120039206
Birch, K., & Reilly, T. (2002). DIURNAL RHYTHM IN ISOMETRIC MUSCLE PERFORMANCE DIFFERES WITH MENSTRUAL CYCLE PHASE IN EUMENORRHEUIC WOMEN. Chronobiology Internatio-nal, 19(4), 731–742. https://doi.org/10.1081/CBI-120006083
Blazer, H. J., Jordan, CL, Pederson, J. A., Rogers, R. R., Williams, T. D., Marshall, M. R., & Ballmann, C. G. (2020). Effects of Training Time Preference on Endurance Exercise Performance Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 92(3), 492–499. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2020.1751032
Drust, B., Waterhouse, J., Atkinson, G., Edwards, B., & Reilly, T. (2005). Circadian rhythms in athletic performance: An update. Chronobiology International, 22(1), 21–44. https://doi.org/10.1081/CBI-200041039
Edwards, BJ, Boyle, BB, Burniston, JG, Doran, DA, Doran, D., Giacomoni, M., … Pullinger, SA (2025). Evi-dence of circadian variation in 10 km laboratory time trial performance, where a standardized approach has been employed. Chronobiology International, 42(2), 244–258. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2025.2459668
Edwards, B.J., Gibbins, K.P., Morgan, C.J., Giacomoni, M., Robertson, C.M., Low, D.A., & Pullinger, S.A. (2025). Investigating the effects of moderate hyperthermia on two phases of the circadian cy-cle of core temperature (heat gain and peak) on maximum voluntary contraction strength of the quadriceps. Chronobiology International, 42(5), 622–639. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2025.2494631
Mhenni, T., Michalsik, LB, Mejri, MA, Yousfi, N., Chaouachi, A., Souissi, N., & Chamari, K. (2016). Morning-evening difference in short-term maximum physical performance related to handball in female handball players. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(9), 912–920. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2016.1201212
Mirizio, GG, Nunes, RSM, Vargas, DA, et al. Effects of time of day on maximum short-duration exercise performance. Sci Rep 10, 9485 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-66342-w
Orhan, B. E., Hazra, S., Biswas, S., Karak, P. K., Mondal, S., Halder, S., & Gaur, M. P. (2025). Effect of diur-nal variations on cognitive and physical performance among female athletes. Retos, 68, 874-888. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v68.113742
Párraga García, V. L., Chica Aguilar, G. A., Román Macías, B. Y., Muñoz Ureta, N. M., & Ponce Alencastro, J. A. (2025). Chronobiology and chronopharmacology in old age: Fundamentals and perspectives for geriatric care. Revista Social Fronteriza, 5(4), e–806. https://doi.org/10.59814/resofro.2025.5(4)806
Pullinger, S., Robertson, CM, Oakley, AJ, Hobbs, R., Hughes, M., Burniston, JG, & Edwards, BJ (2018). Effects of active warm-up on bench press and back squat variation (upper and lower body measures). Chronobiology International, 36(3), 392–406. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2018.1552596
Robertson, CM, Pullinger, SA, Robinson, WR, Smith, ME, Burniston, JG, Waterhouse, JM, & Edwards, BJ (2018). Is diurnal variation in muscle strength detected when analyzing multi-joint movements with the MuscleLab force-velocity encoder? Chronobiology International, 35(10), 1391–1401. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2018.1485685
Robertson, CM, Pullinger, SA, Robinson, WR, Smith, ME, Burniston, JG, & Edwards, BJ (2024). Circadian variation in muscle strength in males using isokinetic and isometric dynamometry: can we observe it in multi-joint movements using the MuscleLab force-velocity encoder? Are they si-milar in peak and magnitude? Chronobiology International, 41(5), 709–724. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2024.2348011
Serin, Y., & Acar Tek, N. (2019). Effect of Circadian Rhythm on Metabolic Processes and the Regulation of Energy Balance. Annals of nutrition & metabolism, 74(4), 322–330. https://doi.org/10.1159/000500071
Shephard, RJ Sleep, Biorhythms, and Human Performance. Sports Medicine 1, 11–37 (1984). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-198401010-00003
Souissi, A., Yousfi, N., Souissi, N., Haddad, M., & Driss, T. (2020). The effect of diurnal variation on the performance of exhaustive continuous and alternated-intensity cycling exercises. PloS one, 15(12), e0244191. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244191
Stawiarska, A., Gajdosz, R., Chwała, W., & Gajdosz, A. (2024). Circadian variability of bioelectric muscle tone in static and dynamic anaerobic exercises in men. Acta of bioengineering and biomecha-nics, 26(4), 111–122. https://doi.org/10.37190/abb-02527-2024-02
Ünver, E., & Cinemre, Ş. A. (2019). The effect of circadian rhythm on drop jump performance. Isokine-tics and Exercise Science, 27(4), 333-339. https://doi.org/10.3233/IES-192174
Valle Flores, J. A., Rosado Álvarez, M. M., Hidalgo Torres, J. L., Villamar Vásquez, G. I., Jurado Auria, S. A., Valenzuela Burbano, K. G., & Bazurto Hidalgo, C. E. (2025). Relationship between physical activi-ty and sleep quality in university students: a cross-sectional study. Retos, 68, 1477-1486. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v68.116008
Vanegas-Castillo, J. E., & Peña Ramírez, W. A. (2024). Biotechnology and physical performance in sport: "the mutants of the future." Retos, 61, 1458-1467. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v61.110314
Vitale, JA, Bonato, M., La Torre, A., & Banfi, G. (2019). Heart rate variability in sports performance: Do time of day and chronotype influence it? Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8 (5), 723.https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8050723
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Javier Eduardo Vanegas-Castillo, William Alberto Peña Ramírez, Miguel Orlando Noy Martínez
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and ensure the magazine the right to be the first publication of the work as licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of authorship of the work and the initial publication in this magazine.
- Authors can establish separate additional agreements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (eg, to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Is allowed and authors are encouraged to disseminate their work electronically (eg, in institutional repositories or on their own website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as to a subpoena more Early and more of published work (See The Effect of Open Access) (in English).
This journal provides immediate open access to its content (BOAI, http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/boaifaq.htm#openaccess) on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The authors may download the papers from the journal website, or will be provided with the PDF version of the article via e-mail.
