Time-of-day effects in physical performances and psychological responses in young elite male handball players

Comparisons of Types of Schematic Diagrams and Time of Day of Instruction for Teaching Soccer Tactics

Our purpose in this study was to explore how types of schematic diagrams and diurnal timing of instruction of soccer tactics affect physical education undergraduates' learning. We partly randomized student assignments to three schematic conditions: (a) diagrams with simultaneous arrows, (b) diagrams with sequential-transient arrows, or (c) diagrams with sequential-permanent arrows. Each of 45 participants attended a morning session (08h00-09h00) and an afternoon session (16h00-17h00) on two different days. Each session involved oral temperature and mood state measurements, a study phase (in which the participant studied how the play system functioned), and then a recall-reconstruction task. We found that morning sessions were associated with better recall performance than late afternoon sessions, regardless of the schematic diagram format. Moreover, students derived greater benefit from diagrams featuring both sequential-transient and sequential-permanent arrows in both morning and afternoon sessions, with a clear relative advantage for the diagrams with sequential-permanent arrows. During morning sessions, compared to afternoon sessions, participants showed lower oral temperature, lower negative mood, and higher positive mood. We discuss these findings and their implications for the acquisition of tactical information about soccer.

Influence of time-of-day on neuromuscular performance in team sport athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Although circadian rhythms have been shown to influence some neuromuscular performance tasks, the time-of-day effect on team sports performance athletes remains equivocal. This study aimed to examine the existing evidence concerning diurnal variations in neuromuscular performance in professional and semi-professional team sports athletes using a meta-analytic approach.

Methods

A literature search was conducted through three different databases: PubMed, SportDiscus and Web of Science. Article selection was made based on the following inclusion criteria: team sports athletes, professional or semi-professional athletes, neuromuscular performance, testing protocols and time-of-day testing times. Neuromuscular performance parameters such vertical jump capacity (i.e., squat and countermovement jump), agility and isometric strength were included in the analysis. Testing protocols that specifically assessed these parameters across morning (AM) and late afternoon/evening (PM) periods were considered were extracted from the selected studies.

Results

Ten studies met the inclusion criteria for qualitative synthesis and five for quantitative synthesis. Meta-analysis indicated lower countermovement jump in the AM compared to with PM (mean difference, -1.44; 95% CI -2.80 to -0.08; p = 0.04) and higher agility performance (mean difference 0.42; 95% CI 0.09-0.74; p = 0.01) in PM comparing with AM. No differences were reported in isometric strength and squat jump performance (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Neuromuscular performance is higher in the late afternoon or early evening compared to morning schedules in team sport athletes. Hence, time-of-day variations need to be considered when evaluating neuromuscular performance in professional and semi-professional team sports athletes.

Repeated Sprint Variations According to Circadian Rhythm at Different Menstrual Cycle Phases

This study assessed the repeated sprint performance in relation to circadian rhythm during different menstrual cycle phases (MCP). Twelve volunteer eumenorrheic women team sport athletes performed 5×6-s cycling sprints in morning (9 am to 10 am) and evening (6 pm to 7 pm) sessions during the mid-follicular (FP, 6th-10th d) and luteal phases (LP, 19th-24th d). Body weight, oral body temperature, resting heart rate and lactate levels together with estradiol, progesterone and cortisol levels were determined before tests. Relative peak and mean power and performance decrements were determined as performance variables and maximum heart rate, lactate and ratings of perceived exertion were determined as physiological variables. Evening body temperatures were significantly higher. Cortisol levels were higher in the morning and in the FP. Resting lactate levels did not vary with MCP or time of day, but a significant MCP x time of day interaction was observed. Body weight showed no change according to time of day and MCP. There was no significant effect of MCP and time of day on performance and physiological variables, in contrast, maximum lactate values were notably higher in the evening. In conclusion, MCP and time of day need not be considered during repeated sprint exercises of eumenorrheic women athletes.

Diurnal Variations in Upper and Lower Body Power in Adolescent Volleyball Players: Exploring Time-of-Day Effects on Performance

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

This study aims to investigate the daily variations in upper and lower body power performance in adolescent volleyball players.

METHODS

The sample consisted of 50 young male volleyball players (14.12 ± 0.8 years), actively involved in regular training and competition. Players were tested for vertical jump tests and medicine ball throws twice, once in the morning (8:00-9:30 h) and once in the evening (18:00-19:30 h).

RESULTS

Significant differences (p < 0.05; ES = 0.35-0.42) in vertical jump were observed when comparing the morning and evening performance except for counter movement jump with arm swing, where there were no significant differences (p = 0.21). The results for the upper body power tests revealed a significant difference only in the standing medicine ball throw (p = 0.05; ES = 0.35). There were no significant differences in lying and seated medicine ball throw (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that lower body power, manifested in vertical jump performance, was significantly better in the evening compared to the morning. For upper body assessments, the standing medicine ball throw appears more reflective of volleyball-specific movements, while the lying and sitting throw may be less applicable. These findings suggest that volleyball training and testing, especially for leg power, may be more effective later in the day, while upper body performance appears less affected by time.

Acquiring basketball plays through varied speeds of video demonstration: Effect of time of day

The present study aimed to elucidate the effects of real-time versus slow-motion videos, as a function of time of day, on the acquisition of basketball plays. Fifty first-year sports science students (Mage = 18.82 y, SD = 0.49) were quasi-randomly allocated to either into 0.5 or 1.0 times normal video speed, attending morning (08:00-09:00 h) and late-afternoon (16:00-17:00 h) sessions. After measuring oral temperature (OT) and mood states (MS), participants observed a basketball system's evolution twice and completed two recall tests [game comprehension (GC) and game performance (GP) tests]. Afternoon sessions exacerbated higher OT, higher negative MS (e.g. anxiety and fatigue), and lower positive MS (i.e. vigor) compared to mornings (regardless of video speed). GC and GP were higher in the morning than in the afternoon, with real-time (p < 0.001, both) and slow-motion videos (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). GC and GP were higher with slow-motion videos compared to real-time videos in morning and afternoon sessions (p < 0.01, both). The findings highlight the morning's superiority in the acquisition of motor knowledge from videos, due to mood disturbances and lower arousal levels. Additionally, the findings encourage teachers/coaches to communicate basketball plays through slow-motion videos, particularly in the morning.

Mood Status Response to Physical Activity and Its Influence on Performance: Are Chronotype and Exercise Timing Affect?

PURPOSE

It is well known that there is an obvious 24 h diurnal variation in the individual's mood state and physiological activity, and training at different times of the day may lead to different exercise performance and metabolic outcomes; however, the time-dependent effect of emotional state on physical activity and the influence of its circadian rhythm on exercise performance are still not comprehensively understood. Based on this, this study summarizes the rhythmic experimental research in the field of sport psychology, and it aims to provide the basis for coaches to optimize sports training scientifically and to improve the mental health of the related crowd to the greatest extent.

METHODS

The systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, and CNKI databases for relevant literature; the search scope was research before September 2022.

RESULTS

13 studies comprising 382 subjects examined the effects of exercise timing on mood responses to exercise or the effects of circadian rhythms of mood on exercise performance, which included 3 RCTs and 10 Non-RCTs. The subjects included athletes (both training or retired), college students, and healthy adults. Two studies were designed for long-term exercise intervention (aerobic training and RISE) and the rest for acute intervention (CrossFit training, HIIT, aerobic combined with muscle conditioning training, constant power exhaustion training, and cycling) or physical function tests (RSA + BTV tests, 30 s Wingate test, muscle strength + CMJ + swimming performance test, RSSJA, shooting accuracy tests + 10 × 20 m dribbling sprint, 200 m time trials). All trials reported specific exercise timing; of these, 10 studies reported subjects' chronotypes, most commonly using the MEQ scale, while 1 recorded with the CSM. Mood responses were assessed with the POMS scale in 10 studies, while 3 other studies used the UMACL, PANAS, and GAS scales, respectively.

CONCLUSION

There was much inconsistency between the results, with subjects likely to be exposed to more sunlight (the main timing factor of the circadian rhythm) during early morning exercise, resulting in feeling more positive emotions; however, following a night's rest, delayed responses and poor functioning of the various organ systems of the human body may also lead to higher feelings of fatigue and negative emotions indirectly. Conversely, for athletes, their physical function tests are also more susceptible to the circadian rhythm of emotions, suggesting the importance of synchronizing them. In addition, night owls' emotional state during physical activity seems to be more susceptible to exercise timing than that of early birds. In order to achieve the best emotional state, it is suggested that night owls arrange courses in the afternoon or evening in future training.

The effect of listening to preferred music after a stressful task on performance and psychophysiological responses in collegiate golfers

Background

This study explores whether listening to preferred music after a stressful situation affects putting and swinging performance, heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV), and anxiety among amateur golfers.

Methods

Twenty healthy amateur collegiate golfers voluntarily participated in this study (age 20.1 ± 1.17 yrs., height = 173.8 ± 7.74 cm, body weight = 72.35 ± 12.67 kg). Pre- and post-intervention HR and HRV measurements were taken, along with a self-report of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) and Triple Factor Anxiety Inventory (TFAI). Participants were exposed to a stressful situation through the Stroop Colour and Word Test (SCWT) and then instructed to perform three golf-practice sessions in a golf simulator, separated by 48-72 hours of recovery, under different conditions: control, pre-task music, and synchronised music.

Results

No significant difference was identified between the experimental conditions for swinging (in terms of total distance (p = 0.116), carry distance (p = 0.608), speed of the ball (p = 0.819), and launch angle (p = 0.550) and putting performance (the number of successful putts on target (p > 0.05) and distance error between the target and ball (p = 0.122). No main effect for condition and time of intervention, as well as no interaction between these two factors was found for HR, HRV, and STAI-S (p = 0.116). However, the pre and post-intervention percentages of physiological items of the TFAI indicated a large, significant difference in synchronised music trial (p = 0.012, pre-task trial = -1.92% < control trial = 0% < synchronised trial = 4.58%).

Conclusions

The results imply that following a stressful situation, listening to preferred music before and/or during golf has no immediate effect on golf performance, anxiety, and psychophysiological responses in collegiate golfers.