How Your Biological Clock Influences Your Mental And Physical Performance

All of nature has a rhythm.  Birds fly south and the leaves of trees changes color  as if following some mysterious cue from a master timekeeper.  We are no different.  Our bodily functions and our brain  follow a definite rhythm.  This affects  our thinking ability and mental capacity to remember and concentrate.

At certain times of the day, our rhythm reaches a peak, while at other times, it is low.  Our body temperature fluctuates according to this rhythm, as  does our blood pressure and the level of certain hormones in the blood.  Our body’s functions according to a fixed time plan, which is slightly different from person to person.  Our daily rhythms are dictated by the rotation of the earth around its axis every 24 hours.  However, our biological clocks run slightly slower than the earth’s rotation’ for most people, an inner day has about 25 hours.

Our biological clock, our inner timepiece is located in the part of the brain called the hypothalamus.  This controls the hormones and the nervous system and is actually a bundle of nerves.  Scientists are still trying to figure out how the rhythm develops and how our biological clock is set.  We only know that it can be influenced by noise, our social and physical environment and the sleeping hormone melatonin and possibly also through physical activity.

There is one particular factor that affects our biological clock, that is, light.  In particular, the sun.  Our eyes are light sensitive, even a flash of lightning can make the body start producing certain key chemicals.  We now know that these chemicals regulate our biological clock every day.  Scientists, study blind people, whose optic nerves has been damaged discover that these people cannot easily keep their rhythm in synchronicity with the rest of society.

Here’s a quick guide to the peak times for various activities.

6-8am.  For most men, this is a good time for sex as the male body experiences a high level of sex hormones

9am – 12pm .  The human brain is on a fast track.  This time slot is good for making decisions.  Heart medication is also effective during this time.

1pm.  The body experiences its first low.  Our body temperature starts to fall.  People who can take a quick nap during this time find themselves more productive later.

3pm.  The body experiences low sensitivity to pain during the mid-afternoon.  If you’ve been putting off a visit to the dentist, this is a good time to make a dental appointment. 

4-6pm.  The body starts to perform at its peak because muscles start to warm up.  Physical activity is most effective during this time.  Athletic records have been known to shatter during this time.

7-8pm.   For most people, its time to relax as the workday draws to a close.  The liver breaks down alcohol effectively.  The body starts to unwind.

1am-3am. Warning!  Your mental and physical prowess is at its low.  This is the time the body wants to shut down and sleep.  This is the time when most accidents happen at home or on the road. 

Understanding your body’s own biorhythm will help you to cope with stress.  If at all possible, schedule high mental activities at the time your brain and body are at its peak.  And remember to take power naps whenever possible.  It goes a long way to improving  memory and  concentration, and maintaining  healthy mental and physical capacity.