TRAINING O'CLOCK?

Most of us ride our bikes whenever we get chance, but is there abest time of day when you’ll unlock the most potential and make maximum gains? Sports scientist Dr Mark Homer investigates

- Dr Mark Homer

Let’s face it, no matter what we tell our friends, cycling comes quite far down the priority list when drawing up the day’s to-do list. We ride when we can fit it in, rather than at the best possible time for making fitness gains. As amateur riders, our family, friends, work and sleep – you choose the order of priority – put the squeeze on our windows of opportunity for getting in quality saddle time. The question is, does it matter what time you train?

The evidence suggests that, yes, it does. For various reasons, our bodies may have a preference that affects the training response. This feature will investigate the physical and mental effects of riding at different times of day. Should you schedule different types of session at particular times? And are there certain times of day you should actively avoid?

Often, we have to resort to training at the only time available to us. Mercifully, now that we’re emerging from the dark, wet winter, we’ll soon have a few extra hours of daylight to play with at each end of the day. What does the science tell us about the best time to choose? Chronobiology is the study of life’s rhythms: heart rate, body temperature, and a variety of hormonal responses that follow the daily (or circadian) pattern. These rhythms are programmed genetically as well as being influenced by our environment and activity. Exercise performance can be dramatically affected – up to 15 per cent – by variations in these rhythms.

Dr Brendan Gabriel, from the University of Edinburgh, studies circadian biology in clinical conditions and sport.