Circadian advantages in elite athletes

This chapter discusses the current state of circadian rhythms research with direct relevance and application to elite athletes. The intent is to demonstrate that diurnal variation in aerobic/anaerobic performance and core attributes of athleticism can be leveraged to create circadian-driven performance advantages. Recent advancements that have elucidated biochemical, physiological, and neurobehavioral processes that underlie circadian-driven performance advantages are broadly discussed. All research presented is thematically based on case studies and actual performance–related issues from professional athletes. Chapter authors are elite athletes and/or sleep consultants for sports teams. The chapter places significant emphasis on fatigue/circadian stress driven by game day travel and provides both behavioral and pharmacological fatigue management countermeasures presently adopted by professional athletes. Overall, this chapter is intended to optimize and enhance athletic performance by leveraging the current state of the science and technologies maturing out of circadian rhythms research.