Subconscious actions in Sports

When the "Conscious mind" makes an action or 

 a decision to act; it is our  "Thinking" and those  controlling instructions which activates that action; but when the "Subconscious Mind" activates an action it is usually  done "instinctively" based upon previous experience or training. The body has developed muscles from memory for actions which had occurred, and these action performed instinctively, are finished before we even are aware that they have occured. "Subconscious actions"

 Yes we think the action with the "Conscious" but we do not follow the action step by step when we begin the action we move our thought to instructing the "Subconscious Mind" in controlling the action.

 The image (above) is from Thinkability.com which with the idea that there are auditive and there are visual individuals (or that some people think in words and some people think in images); and they assist their clients on how to develop and use these abilities. 

 Myself, I think in images so in transmitting an instruction to the subconscious during my sport performance, I see the image of what I want to happen and then let the subconscious mind take control to do the action. We must realize that there are two types of thought that are doing the actions which has been perfected and used for international competitions.

In practice for our sport, we are doing the action and telling our body to perform it. This development of muscles to do a unique task is often referred to as "Muscle Memory".

Each time we perform the task of our training, there is a new level of precision  with which it is performed and the memory of this work  is collected in our Subconscious.  We can tell the body to "Jump" from a wall to the ground below, but it is the Subconscious mind that will control how we land and if we feel secure in that decision. The subconscious mind protects the body and will modify how we land so not to injury ourselves. Yes, we thought about it but the subconscious mind uses our memories of previous jumps to help us be secure. If per chance, the subconscious doubts how safe our decision it will began developing protective actions. It has identify our abilities and created an emotion (fear or doubt) and inform us that there is doubt in the decision.

We all know of some action which are done "Instinctive" and we never think that our "Subconscious mind" was involved. To some, this idea of a subconscious (instinctive) actions is new. These actions which occur when we do not have time to think about them just happen. And we probably think, "Thank God, that was close"  This is completely different for the athletic whom after years of training or development of their skill; know that the "Conscious actions"  is to be performed after a bit of "Thinking" and planning. The athletic's encounter with the subconscious mind, is when he realizes that they were in a void or emptiness whon the action happen. Usually because the action happen fast and is then over.

We have seen that when driving a car and a child runs out in front of the car, we don't have the time to tell the mind or our muscles what to do. We "think" the action and before we know it, that action was finished. As if in seeing the "Danger", and thinking "Stop"; the subconscious mind has reacted to our thought  and we "put on the brakes". We, all are  seeing "Instinctive danger" actions performed every day.  This example is interesting  because as we value the life of the child,  we find that the subconscious mind did not give us the possible control and choice of stopping slowly. But what if it had been a dog or a squirrel that cut across our street ?  Maybe because we know that the quick stop would have injured us or the  baby in the "car seat"; the Subconscious made the action needed, but it also remained open to a level of control which would allow for a slower stop even if just to not spilled our coffee. We all remember how hard we put the brakes on when first learning to drive.

The two important aspects of this scenario is that first, the subconscious mind is  performing an reaction done instantaneously without our awareness, but with some small control as it is happening and secondly; that the subconscious mind can be interrupted if it  is necessary to be controlled. Such interruption of the subconscious  is allowed to permit the conscious mind to take a level of control. We find we cannot go too long without the conscious having control.  Bowls delivery has about a split second "Zone".

 In our sport actions, we want the subconscious to follow training and performance developed. We do not want the "Conscious mind" doing actions which we cannot control. We want our developed performance to be totally done in complete absence of the "Thinking". We call this being in the "Zone" as it is a void of thought where our "Conscious mind" hides during the action. 

The above photo is from BrainScan article of  "10 Focus exercises to build your attention"  which explains "because attention and focus are both like a muscle. Unless you build it, you’ll be distracted by every (thing)" and "Getting your brain fit (for studying) is like training for a marathon. You run a bit every day, and the first week or so isn’t that great, but then you get fitter, it becomes fun, and you build the muscles you need". In sports focus is a major part of performance.

In the previous blog I talked about "open" and"close" sports. (Open to actions occuring around us like soccer). When your sport is just you and your performance it is a "Closed Sport" (like Bowls or Archery). This would not seem to have much to do with the subconscious mind but each sport has its own limitation on what the subconscious mind can do. 

We as athletic, too often think that with good  concentration and  a lot of practice we will eventually makes  "a perfect" performance.  In a Closed sport; concentration is more than just an absence of interference.  In an Open sport where avoiding an opponent. on the ice or field; we have less concentration and learn to develop more a reflective reactions. There, our actions are reactions to other actions. Like the child running in front of the car (an action) forced an "Instinctive Reaction" the same as a Boxer would avoid a thrown punch or a hockey player avoid a check or Soccer player avoid the lost of the ball.

At this year world soccer championships, last month, I saw a soccer athlete doing  a "Flip upside down  kick". The soccer ball which was about 3 feet over his head, was send into the net. He’s not only contact with the ball but also send it in the direction of the soccer net.

Shutterstock photo

 Even though we define "Soccer" as an "open sport" and that the athletic`s mind was always watching the opponent and the goaler; his performance or action was also  in accordance with actions that involves his team members. If the goaler had been in a blocking position, the soccer player would  probably have created an alternative offensive play like a pass rather than a Shot on goal.

To have perform this "upside down kick" of a soccer ball towards the net (or a team mate) would’ve required  many hours of continual practise by the athlete. A lot of practice for this rare occurrence. But this practice sessions was to teach the subconscious mind  the actions and it's ability to strike a moving object in this strange position. 

 When I was doing Archery Trick shots and shooting a bouncing tennis ball; I learned to organize the subconscious mind to watch for that moment when the tennis ball had almost stopped moving. (at the top of it's bounce) But I had to practice to look for that moment and then afterward I had to work to coordinate the timing of shooting at the target and analysis the delay between the release of the arrow  and the arrival at the tennis ball. So I was educating the subconscious for shooting where the ball would be when the arrow arrived.  This trick shot was developed in the Victoriaville Archery Shooting Alley when nearby  Tennis were  being played. The two areas were seperated by a protective screen;  and often a tenis ball came into our archery area. 

In sports like archery, because it is just the archer and their equipment; the level of concentration and the time in the "Zone" is very short. The archer simply allows the subconscious mind to perform the actions of  releasing the arrow when his confidence in Aim and Breathing is right. In other sports like Lawn Bowls this Subconscious mind "Zone" can be even greater. 

In a YouTube video of Tiger Wood he says that between the start of his swing and seeing the golf ball in-flight towards the target he has not had any idea what was happening.

 The video calls this "Peak Performance Zone" at which time the athlete is absence from reality or conscious awareness. To quote the trainer's words about Tiger's performance; we must be "Mentally Tough". Most of us are not in the zone but for may be a couple microseconds; but it is enough to allow the subconscious mind to do all its necessary actions for that perfect delivery or shot.

 In all sports we must develop "Defensive Actions" in preparation for that interruption and allow the Subconscious to execute them as necessary.  For example, if concentration is important during your performance, you must develop the ability to abandon your performance when interrupted.

For example,  I  remember once while "in the zone" and in the process of doing a Petanque takeout shot; when I heard a large loud bang and instantly the subconscious mind cancel the shot, as I threw my ball away from the intended target. I had previously defined during my  shot preparation that there was a danger and after starting my shot and being "in the Zone" the noise caused the subconscious mind to react to the (thought of) danger and being unable to stop the performance; the ball was thrown away from the target and it's would-be danger.

Muscle Memory & Adding Mental Images

 Very often in Coaching we must realize that because students do not know what they don't know and  they must be introduced to a way of thinking if they are to advance to thinking beyond the "Throw and Catch" approach to sports. The image (right) is from Thinkability and express that people think in words and also some people think in images.  "Muscle Memory" is such an area of  coaching and a non-spoken topics because it is too difficult to explain.  Not so much because it is complex, but because of the need and understanding of the "Subconscious" mind and it's interaction with muscles. The mind always will be instructing  our bodies and especially our muscles during a "Muscle Memory" action. Also it is important to feel our body signals during these times.

We often believe we are in control of our muscles and what they do. But if a child runs in front of your car; you think.."STOP" and not the word but the image of the car stopping and "Muscle Memory" puts the brake on and even applies the force to prevent the accident.

. No we did not think.. it happen because our body reacted in a preventative moment.  What if I told you that this interrelationship between the mind and your actions can be applied in your sport;  would you work to create the necessary controls.

There are Muscle actions of our body which are "Memories" which we accept as daily life.. Lungs breathing or heart beating. Both are muscles which seem to operate without any personal involvement.  But let yourself become stressed or over think a problem and you will discover how your heart will replies.  Sometime, these extension of your control of your body and "Muscle Memories" can be very dangerous if you are not young and in top physical conditioning. Other times it is the next step to your personal development. Especially if you need to develop a  movement like "Bowls Delivery".

What makes "Muscle Memory" difficult to understand is that as you  study or develop knowledge of the Subconscious Mind's control or instructions to the muscles; you begin realizing that the idea  "If I think it, I can do it", can really be a reality.  Some muscle action during a performance like Delivery are natural action movements.  Like rolling a bowl must be done with force as we do a arm swing or body movement to get the energy into the bowl. So to roll the bowl up the green is easily, but how much energy to use is another story of Muscle development.

However, our mind's mental instruction to the muscles are more difficult, and often misunderstood.  When we look up the green and imagine the line that our bowl is going to take as the bias acts on your delivery; our mind is now moving into the "Memory Recall" and "Memory Evaluation" aspect of our delivery. These images, become the data for instructions which the subconscious mind uses as it begins computing on how to do this. We may find that our previous Deliveries and what we saw (Yes saw, if  we were thinking of what happen) have become the information for the Subconscious to use in doing that performance again with the corrections  we want. A change of Line or a little more weight.

 Why?  The alien who created this computer we call a mind, (or God) in his wisdom; made a great bio-machine which makes us wonder just how much we can do if we really work to develop and use our mind. In our sport there are two major tools. "In the Zone" absence of thinking and "Communication".

Like in today's computer, if we write a document and do not save it after our  long and endless efforts, it can not be retrieved later and is lost. We can watch the bowl roll up the green a thousand times but if we don't mentally record it's roll with thoughts and  some sort of analysis; it becomes an event which is probably lost to  what can be called everyday "event trivia". Forgotten as we just did it and turned away.

Given is  an example of a hitch-hiker, passing the time between rides as he decides at working to remember the license numbers of the last three passing cars. Because when we see something, the retina retained that image for some time after the object has passed, we can search our memory, for what is retained on the eyes' retina. This is a mental exercise of developing memory retrieval of vision. 

He believes, that he can start with three numbers and eventually four.. etc. He is seeing a new number with every passing car and he must use the last  two numbers with this new passing car license and recall them to make his three. This was me 50 years ago, when I was at University and hitchhiking home. This exercise was the start of developing the ability to retain the visual image of my sport after it had been done. Today, the retrieval is more advance as "Pre-Visualization" become a method of using the memory of previous deliveries to know the distance to the Jack. Imagine seeing your bowl go to the jack is "Memory Retrieval" which when correct gives you  the jack distance for Delivery weight. 

 Like watching your Bowl roll to the "Head", the minute I stops seeing, your retrieval and Memory has ended. Like that hitch-hiker seeking the retain image of the license number, a cycle of ("see it") “record it" and  "retrieval of the next” my "Memory search" cycle of three numbers has ended. Likewise, in our Delivery our “mental Work” is a cycle which always repeating itself. From Pre-mat to Feedback.

  ( Fact.. Today, In Canada, Hitch-Hiking is illegal with a fine and court cost up to $2000 and many internet “Ride Sharing” services are offered instead. But this was my training for Memory Retrieval"

 Our Bowl Delivery, done several times during a game is such a cycle. First our "Pre-mat Routine" then "To the Mat Preparation", "Delivery", "Post Delivery Routine", "Bowl Roll Analysis" (above mention), ending in the Bowl's "Final Placement". As we step away from Mat and used our visual observation, we can still see the memory of that bowl roll to " Analysis" the Shot and finally make decisions. as a last part of the cycle,  "Decisions on Correction".  A total mental  cycle which requires a lot of time and wasted or lost as we are busy watching the opponent's bowl. (Yes "Opponent's Bowl Analysis is also a confirmation of our own (previous rolls) performance and may be part of  our "Feedback" or "Bowl Analysis". We are to decide if  the same line but should  be use. In your Pre- Delivery decisions of your next bowl roll the opponent's bowl data should not be used. You must always remember that each bowl rolls differently and the opponent's delivery is different and creates bad data. However, a fall in the green will always be in the same area of the green and your identification of that area can be confirmed by your opponent's bowl.

  Why this example?  Because, a lot of our Bowls delivery are like that passing car and we get lost in thought by watching the bowl rolling. Our watching our bowl roll without thinking or analysis is as if  the hitch-hiker stopped "seeing"  the license plate. ( doing his retrieval from the retina of the information) I believe we become tired of thinking or forcing to think and we let the action happens and  allow ourself to forget it. "It is over, Turn and leave the mat".  Is your delivery like that ?  It happens and then it is over as we step from the mat and wait for our next bowl to be delivered. Then you must build your "Delivery Cycle" with a "Mental Sight" that as you walk from the mat you are still seeing the bowl roll and busy collecting data and making decisions as part of your "Post-Delivery Feedback".

If there was a sudden change in your bowl's roll caused by the playing surface, or increase roll due to a surface incline; it happen and is gone. But you can still remember it and analysis it.  I have even seen a bowler turn as he was walking from the mat and look back up the green to identify the area of the green.

 This example is given to understand not just "Feedback" but the analysis and storage of information and even the retrieval of previous "Feedbacks" and how we relate it to our previous deliveries. If the analysis was done during the delivery of those previous rolls. 

 First, during a game, we can remember the last few deliveries and our visits to the mat at this position where the mat is placed. We finish our team control of the mat and leave to go up the green.  But two ends ago we also did a delivery from this end of the green and maybe this  same mat position (or similar), Like the license plates of passing cars for the hitch-hiker; if we have not collected and memory stored the data (Analysis and Feedback) we can not use it later. As you walk up the green maybe do a review of the major facts of those three bowls (or 4 if pairs game) to know that storage has been done.

 If we just see the bowl roll without remembering those previous deliveries at the same mat position or jack distance;  we do not have data to  create an  expectation of  our next delivery. When it is our turn to deliver the next bowl, then our analysis is finished and decisions made for the Pre-mat Routine. If being positive in this data collection we are not interested  on errors but more on corrective action to be made.

After three or four rolls over that section of the green, we know something is causing your bowl to not follow it's proper Bias as expected.. Too often we just think "Oh I did a bad Delivery".  To know the error, and to correct the error means decisions for your next visit to the mat at that end of the green. The common error of Lawn Bowlers is to simply blame it on having done a "bad delivery". 

 To develop "Muscle Memory" it is necessary to communicate with the Subconscious mind to tell it why you believe the error happen, and let the Subconscious know what is needed to adjust the next delivery. Be Amazed, Talk to your subconscious and see the subconscious mind at work the next time you do you Pre-Mat Routine.

In a previous articles I have write about what athletics call "Being in the Zone". Even Tiger Wood in it explaining with on a Youtube video and  said "Between my start of swing and seeing the ball in flight, I have not memory of what happen" He was in his Zone. This cycle of Feedback is a "Zone cycle" which  may be made up of several parts to complete the physical delivery which required practice and practice until every time you deliver the bowl the same way; and you were reading and analysing that bowl's roll.

 Under a normal "Newie Delivery", you know you have done a good physical delivery when you bowl has stopped near the Jack. You can even feel and hear the excitement of the Subconscious mind; because it was not as you expected. But "Muscle Memory" is more than the Muscles having been developed and the subconscious instructions to doing a good delivery.

 Yes the Subconscious even records that feeling of excitement but immediately the subconscious is beginnign to tell the muscles to do that again. It is making that memory as "Ideal Bowl Memory" and  will be remembering it and the "Muscle Memories" so that you can do the same again.

 Can you tell someone how to do something, like telling your secretary how to do her letter, but if you have not previously done it correctly and also closely watched and analysis how it was done; you can not explain it in words.  Can you mind instruct the muscle of what to do if you have not watched the bowl roll and analysis it every roll ( all rolls, the strange or normal rolls). 

 The mind can repeat what happen if it  has the information of what happen and that information is your "Feedback" data it put into storage; and your analysis  how ever detail it was. This teaching of the subconscious is with images because when you are in the "Zone" and the mind is in total control all the time you have is that image.

Last Summer while playing with members from another club I experience an opinion of Muscle Memory which really surprised me.   I was playing with a Bowler who was being instructed on perfecting her delivery performance by a club coach and this bowler said to me, "Stay on the mat and watch your bowl so you can develop your muscle memory". Interesting because what she was making reference to was "FeedBack" which is not automatic recorded to used in the Pre-Mat Routine or "Delivery Preparation". It does get recorded a bit if after 3 hours you have done the same thing. But we all make small changes thinking we did something wrong and only FeedBack Analysis leads to Muscle Memory.

Take for example. You see a region of your "Bias" Line of the Bowl which remains straight because of the green having a small ridge. You go to the mat and you side step (walking the mat) to the left side of the mat with the idea you delivery line will stay left, just inside of that ridge if you repeat your line and weight. (Not going over the top it will not go straight as trying to come back up over the ridge but instead come down a bit faster). This was a modification of  your delivery for a result.. How do you communicate it to the subconscious ? You visualize the bowl roll not going over the top and coming down faster. Yes just think it or see it as happening before you do your delivery.  Muscle memory will come later when the subconscious  has learned how to make the correct adjustment for that thought.

What adjustment?  well you have step left on the mat but your thought of your coming delivery is a "Result thought". Up to now when you do a delivery (without corrective action) your thought has been where you are wanting the bowl to arrive.. If you change your line, change your weight, change a part of your delivery but still have your "Result Thought" the bowl should go there because your Muscle Memory and Subconscious instruction to the muscles will attempt to give you that result. (if the change is not that big a change).

So now you are still thinking where you want the bowl to arrive, (Result Thought) but because you have change your position you want the subconscious mind to also change  instrucrtions to give you that same "Result". If you just changed your position on the mat by a foot and made no instruction to the subconscious mind then the same delivery would result in  this 2nd bowl  being a foot left of the previous bowl. 

So now when you are  preparing to go into the Zone of your delivery your thought was a visual thought of the bowl not running over the top of the ridge and finishing in the head where you wanted it. And now your "Delivery" is done with an absence of all thought. (in the Zone) Your two visualized thoughts indicated your wanted Bowl roll and now you are letting the subconscious mind perform the "Modified" Delivery. 

 However, as with the physical practice of Delivery to get your regular "Good" Delivery with "Muscle Memory"; you must do this mental practice several time also or the communication of your wishes to your Muscle Memory will not become a habit.  Each time we will see that the subconscious mind will do a response to your visual image and eventually your "Muscle Memory" will have been educated by your visual thought of avoiding that ridge and you will be surprised how your bowl seem to run straight.

 Of course, you bowl might be right of where you wanted it because "FeedBack" analysis will tell you that the bowl run back down the ridge gave it more distance or a change of bias.. But after a few times your subconscious mind know this. Yes you can trick your subconscious mind into the result you want. If you know your bowl is going to be right because of the run down the ridge than choose your wanted "Result" to the left of the jack. I don't suggest you over-think your subconscious control of your Muscle memory because like a friend whom you lie to.. your subconscious mind will not have confidence in your visual image. But for that one time when it is important I often do it and forgot about it (don't see it as FeedBack)

Jet Lag and a Athletic's Performance

 Reading a SPORTS (Science Periodical on Research and Technology in Sport)  pamplete title "Timing Travel and Athletic Performance (Oct 1984) written by Charles M Winget PhD who explains how performance is affected by Jet-Lag when involved in International Competitions.

 Mr. Winget, who died in July 2013, was involved with NASA's biomedical research in Space travel.(Biomedical Research Div of NASA ) and their research on speed with Astronauts health.

At the end of  Mr. Winget article which  was published by the Coaching Association of Canada  in October 1984; we find the following advice.

"As general advice "For the athlete who has not pre-adapted to destination time clues, if possible , avoid important athletic competitions in the morning hours during the initial days after long eastbound flights and last afternoon hours after a west bound flight."

Your internal clock, called a circadian clock, cycles about every 24 hours and "Circadian rhythm disorders", also known as sleep-wake cycle disorders, are problems that occur when your body's internal clock, which tells you when it's time to sleep or  to wake, is out of sync with your environment. (US NHLBI) 

There are several aspect of this science involved in a Coach's intervention in the performance of their athletics. From schedule practice after a competition with the intention to allow for a stressful competition to be surpressed and the athletic rest; to the development of Practice and Preparation to allow the athletic to reach his Performance Peak at the actual time of competition. Or as per the Jet-lag research the influence on a athletic at Peak Performance due to lack of successful recovery.

The Canadian Coaching Association article  by Charles M Winget stated the following 

"Jet lag, the disruption of circadian (daily) rhythms, is a recognized air travel syndrome that athletes, tourists and business executives alike must confront when flying across more than a few time zones.

 The most familiar daily rhythm is sleep and wakefulness. But the body has many biological clocks, some daily, some on other schedules.  Most biological functions are rhythmic in character, increasing and decreasing at constant rates. Under normal conditions, all of these rhythms operate in specific phase relationships to one another. The smooth functioning of the body , as a system depending on the maintenance of these timing relationships. So the physiological rhythms noticeably lower at night are heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. Kidney functions is also low at night but high during the day.  Metabolism is highest at noon. Adrenal rhythms are highest during the early sleeping hours and during peaks in the last evenings."

"Disturbing physiological rhythm relationships, jet lag can have far-reaching effects on performance. These effects can range from fatigue and irritability to serious sleep disorders, headache, and acute intestinal upset.  The particular symptoms experienced and their severity vary from individual to individual. If you add these internal troubles to the external stress of facing a tough opponent and the stage is set for ineffective performance"

"Thus the competitive athlete who understands circadian 

(from the Latin circa and dien - about a day) rhythms will be able to perform more effectively. The coach will also be in a better position to improve team performance because relatively small, individual decrements in performance can add up to larger team performance decrements."

Further, after a short history on jet lag the articles states

"The very speed of travel is, however, accompanied by exposure to certain transent distrubances in physiological functions. These changes occur whenever we quickly move from the time zone in which we normally live to a new time zone where local time is several hours different. Thus , we experience disorientation in time when we fly west or east but no disorientation in flying north or south."

"The symptoms of Jet lag, usually felt soon after disembarking from a long Jet flight are disorientation, confusion, distortion of the senses of time and distance, fatigue, upset stomach, constipation or diarrhea, decrements of physical and mental efficiency, and disturbances in sleep habits. The nature of this malady is actually a state of disarray in the body's physiological cycles or biological clocks. Body cycles either out of synchrony with each other or with environmental cycles are in a condition scientist call dysrhythmia. The symptoms of dysrhythmia, following transmeridian flights, are commonly referred to as jet lag. The body cannot reset its biological clock with the same ease that we adjust our watches to a new time zone. In fact, it has been suggested the peak decline in psychomotor performance to to jet lag alone corresponds in young humans to the decline in performance which results from the 0.1 percent blood level." 

Virtually unknown 30 years ago dysrhythmia today is perhaps the most frequently experienced peril of the jet travelling athlete." The article gave an example of "a Boston based runner who planned to go to a race in Hawaii", but was called to Paris on Business.  "After 10 days in Europe, he returnedafter eating breakfast in Paris, With another breakfast in New York (Paris time 5pm), then Lunch in San Francisco with friends; he then, the next day, flew to Hawaii. Only to find that he was tired, irritable, mentally disoriented and suffering acute indigestion"

"Biological or circadian rhythms are not to be confused with the discredited, so called biorhythms of 23-days physical cycle, a 28 day emotional cycle and a 33 day intellectual cycle"

Dr. Daniel C Holley, professor of physiology at San Jose State University reviewed with his colleagues the literature dealing with internal and external factors which induce modification of performance rhythms. Among the factors investigated were motivation and sleep deprivation. Motivation or extra effort is able to improve physical performance for a limited time. Extended sleep (e.g. 12 hours) following a long jet flight can make up for sleep lost. However, a night's rest is not enough to bring the physiologic clock into phase with local time. This adjustment is gradual and usually takes one day for each time zone crossed."

After discussion the sleeping problems like "Micro-sleep episodes" which can cause car accidents because of short micro second falling asleep; Dr. Winget explains how the electroencephalogram brain waves frequency change (alpha waves) and their micro voltage (delta waves). Dr Winget went on to explain how during sleep, the body shuts down all muscles while activating organs like kidneys.  This was summized as

 " It is important for the athlete to keep in mind the significance of the circadian variation in circulatory system dynamics, which influences delivery of oxygen, glucose and hormones to the various organs , including the brain."

"There are circadian rhythms in a variety of neuromuscular functions which affect athletic performance. These include reaction time, grip strength and Achilles tendon reflex, elbow flexion strength, nerve condition velocity and resting forearm blood flow. 

The Achilles tendon reflex is highly correlated with a person's metabolic state and thus is an indication of the general state of activity." The function state of skeletal muscle is an important measure of the overall strength and efficiency of a trained athlete during the course of a day. Maximal voluntary contractions have been observed to change with a circadian pattern. Unfortunately, the physiological measurement of maximal strength is almost complicated by psychological factors such as motivation and emotional state."

In Conclusion - " An athlete's hours of peak performance on tasks requiring muscle coordination, will coincide with the time of highest body temperature in the late afternoon and early evening" (time zone corrected). The worst performance period for both males and females will occur at the time of lowest body temperature in the early morning."

"Concerning the Body's cycle and performance, the presence of circadian rhythm in performance has been well documented. In general, the range of circadian oscillation is greatest in physiological tasks than for psychological tasks. However, the circadian rhythm is a major source of variability in performance (e.g. 10-30 percent of the 24-hour mean) and the range of oscillation (amplitude) increases with increasing task complexity."

"Research has been conducted to determine the specific effects of Jet lag and circadian rhythmicity on athletic performance and significant results have been found . The findings of Keneko suggest athletic events depends upon short duration physical power (e.g. weightlifting and some gymnastics events) are significant affected by the timing (i.e. the circadian rhythm) of blood flow to the muscle. Any disruption of this timing by Jet lag or desynchronosis would subsequently affect an athlete's performance.

Some strange facts are also explained in the article like "Significant performance declines are found only in the eastbound Direction" or "The athlete should reset his or her physiological clock to be in correct environmental timing with the place of destination".  

The International "Competition" Athletic's Coach there is much research published such as "The role of circadian rhythm on sports performance, hormonal regulation, immune system function, and injury prevention in athletes" (Heliyon, 9 2023 e19636) of which the Objectives is defined as: "This study was a narrative review of the importance of circadian rhythm (CR), describes the underlying mechanisms of CR in sports performance".

For the Profession athletics Medical Staff the reader might find interest from. Chronobiology  International which writes on recent research  in it Online Journal. which suggests:

 " Strength coaches and medical staff of professional teams should strongly consider actigraphy as a practical and powerful tool to monitor RARs,( rest-activity circadian rhythms), sleep behavior, and the activity levels of their athletes; highlighting potential circadian disruptions through actigraphy could be helpful to prevent musculoskeletal (involving both musculature and skeleton) injuries".