ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Physiol.
Sec. Chronobiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1610790
The Effect of Time of Day on Anaerobic Performance and Blood Lactate Response in Trained Men: Assessment in Relation to Chronotype
Provisionally accepted
- 1Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Türkiye
- 2Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye
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This study examined the effects of the time of day on anaerobic performance and blood lactate levels in 20 trained male athletes with intermediate type (IT) and close to evening type (CET) chronotypes. The athletes completed vertical jump and repeated sprint ability (6 x 20 m) tests at three different times (07:00-08:00 h, 13:00-14:00 h, and 18:00-19:00 h). Blood lactate levels were measured at baseline, post-RSA (3 min), and post-RSA (33 min). Results showed that peak power [F(2,36) = 18.437, p = 0.001, η²p = .506] and average power [F(2,36) = 25.677, p = 0.001, η²p = .588] for vertical jumps -hands on hips-[F(2,36)= 15.683, p = 0.001, η²p = .466] and handsfree [F(2, 36) = 11.200, p = 0.001, η²p = .427] and repeated sprint ability (6 x 20 mt) tests were significantly higher in the evening and afternoon compared to the morning, consistent with previous findings on circadian effects on neuromuscular function. Additionally, regardless of chronotype, significantly higher lactate accumulation was reported in the afternoon and evening hours compared to the morning hours at peak lactate levels at 3 min post-RSA [F(2,38) = 16.62, p = 0.001, η²p = .474]. Regarding recovery (33rd m) lactate levels, CET individuals showed significantly better lactate clearance in the evening compared to the morning and afternoon hours [F(2,36) = 7.125, p = 0.002, η²p = .284]. In contrast, IT individuals did not show time-dependent differences in recovery. These findings highlight the role of circadian rhythms in anaerobic performance and metabolic responses. Differences in lactate accumulation and clearance suggest that time of day and chronotype should be considered when designing training and recovery strategies.** : IT groups significant difference between afternoon and morning. p <0.05 *: IT groups significant difference between afternoon and evening. p <0.05 + : CET groups significant difference between evening and afternoon. p < 0.05 ++ : CET groups significant difference between evening and morning. p < 0.05
Keywords: chronotype1, anaerobic power2, blood lactate3, time of day4, athlete performance5
Received: 12 Apr 2025; Accepted: 30 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 KÖSE, Ulaş, Atay and Yaşar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: YAKUP KÖSE, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Türkiye
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