Chronotype influences physical performance in adolescent soccer players

Circadian rhythms influence daily behavior, psychological and physiological functions, as soon as the physical performance. People typically display preferences for activity at certain time of day. These differences allow to distinguish three Chronotypes: Morning, Evening and Neither Types (M, N and E). The propensity toward diurnal or evening preferences can vary in different life periods and typically a shift towards eveningness. Generally, soccer workouts take place during the afternoon or evening. Aim of the study is to verify whether physical performance differs related to Chronotype in adolescent soccer players. 100 male soccer players filled in the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) for the assessment of Chronotype. 75 participants, subdivided in M-types (n=25), E-types (n=25) and N-types (n=25), performed three tests (Sargent Jump Test, Illinois Agility Test and 6 Minutes Run Test) at two training sessions, (9:00 am and 6:00 pm). Mixed ANOVA was used to investigate if the three Chronotypes showed differences in test execution during morning and evening sessions. In particular, for all the tests, E-types showed an higher performance during the evening than the morning session (p<.05). By contrast, M-types performed better in the morning than in the evening session (p<.05). No differences were shown for N-types. These findings show that physical exercise practiced in a favourable circadian period could lead to improved performance.