Khaberni - People's differences do not only relate to daily sleep and wake habits, but extend to a deeper internal system known as the "chronotype" or time pattern, which is the biological rhythm that determines the timing of wakefulness, sleep, and peak activity throughout the day, making each individual have their own "biological clock".
This concept indicates that the body does not operate at the same rhythm for everyone, as it determines levels of energy, focus, and performance over 24 hours, making some people more active in the morning hours, while others reach their peak activity in the evening, along with intermediate patterns that combine the two.
Different Time Patterns.. Genes Control the Body Clock
According to this classification, individuals are mostly divided into the "morning type," which tends to wake up early and has high energy in the early hours of the day, and the "evening type," which reaches its activity peak during the night hours, while this difference is influenced by genetic factors that make changing it limited.
In this context, recent research suggests that aligning lifestyle with the "biological clock" may reflect on the body's response to daily activities, including exercise, and enhance the ability to continue and achieve better health outcomes.
Does Exercise Timing Change Heart Health?
In a study published in the Open Heart journal, researchers from Britain and Pakistan concluded that the timing of exercise might be a significant factor in heart health, especially when it aligns with each individual's "chronotype."
The study included 150 people aged between 40 and 60, all of whom had at least one risk factor for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, obesity, or lack of physical activity.
The time pattern of the participants was determined through questionnaires and measurements of baseline body temperature for 48 hours, before they were randomly divided into two groups: the first practiced exercises at a time that matched their natural pattern, and the second at a time that did not match, within morning (8-11 AM) and evening (6-9 PM) periods.
What Happened After 12 Weeks of Exercise?
After 12 weeks of regular training, the results showed improvement in both groups in terms of aerobic fitness, heart health, and sleep quality, but the improvement was clearer in the group that exercised in harmony with their biological rhythm, as they recorded a greater decrease in blood pressure and better improvements in heart rate and breathing capacity.
The results suggest that "exercise timing" may not be just a secondary detail, but an influencing factor in the effectiveness of exercise, especially in people at risk for heart conditions, opening the door to reconsidering ways to organize physical activity.
How Do You Discover Your Optimal Timing for Exercise?
Fitness experts believe that understanding the chronotype (Chronotype) can help improve adherence to exercise, as people tend to continue activity when it aligns with their peak energy, which reflects on health outcomes in the long term.
They also confirm that other factors such as sleep, nutrition, and stress levels interact with this biological rhythm, directly affecting the body's performance during exercise and its response to it.
The study concludes that experimenting with different times to practice sports may help individuals discover their optimal timing, enhancing the health benefit and making the exercise more effective and sustainable, given the clear difference between bodies in their response to the daily rhythm.
