This month’s blog isn’t about toe tapping; I want to talk about training and eating according to your circadian rhythm. Most living things on earth follow a circadian rhythm, or 24-hour cycle that’s influenced by light and darkness and by our own internal clock. It can make us “early birds” or “night owls.” This natural clock also controls brain waves, hormone production, and cell regeneration. A couple of hours before waking, the body releases adrenaline and cortisol to prepare for activity. As it nears time to sleep, the body releases melatonin, our metabolisms slow, and our blood pressure decreases. More detailed information can be found here.
I first became interested in circadian rhythms during contest prep. I couldn’t figure out why my progress would stall if I trained in the evenings and ate dinner late. I have always tended to go to sleep early and wake up early. Training late interfered with how I’m wired! Once I switched my schedule to train in the afternoon, I found that I was able to make better progress.
In order to maximize your results, try to consume most of your calories around the times you’re most active. If you’re able to, train when you’re most alert. You’ll sleep better, train harder, and get leaner! I have also relied on BetaTOR to help me stay lean and maintain strength through times of contest and shoot prep!
Thank you for reading my blog! Until next time, train hard, y’all!
-Erin Stern