The Article titled "Football" by Roger S. Smith sheds a
whole new light on the meaning of "home field advantage." This
study conducted a review of NFL games between the East Coast and West Coast to
find that even a three-hour time difference has an effect on athletic
performance. For one, the body's average peak performance is in the
afternoon: an interesting note given that almost all major [most popular]
professional games -- football or otherwise -- are played in the evening hours,
so as to have the best publicity for Prime Time air on Television. In
this study, West Coast teams showed a hefty advantage over East Coast teams due
to the time difference. Respective point spreads were used as the measure
of impact for each time zone. The West Coast teams beat the point spread
in 70 games as opposed to only 36 games for east coast teams (for evening games
only). This outcome aligns with the present literature on the import
impact of circadian rhythms on athletic performance. It has been noted
historically that not only does sleep deprivation hinder performance but so too
does blatant disrespect for the body's natural daily rhythms. Therefore,
the best time to compete in high profile sporting events is in fact not the
evening...when most events are, but rather in the afternoon, and at a time that
is close to "afternoon hours" for both teams involved, especially
when they hail from opposing sides of the nation.
The study's
finding that the best time to participate in athletics is in the afternoon
hours really surprises me because I would think that the typical afternoon dip
in energy is in fact the worst time to task your body with strenuous physical
activity. I also was surprised by the large difference in performance
between the East Coast and West Coast teams. I would think this effect
has an impact on performance, but one that is much less eminent.
Lastly, I can
largely agree with the claims of the study, even though it concedes limitation
in scope, because of my own offered experiences. Again, I play lacrosse,
and I can confidently say that I play much better during the day than in
evenings, especially in the morning hours. I still perform better in the
afternoon than at practice or at evening games -- I think due simply to the
lack of events having yet happened at that point in the day. The longer
the day continues, the more that has transpired, and taxed the body. I
also feel that I do not perform as well when I am lacking sleep; a good
observation to note for any athlete or person in a place of need for peak
performance. This is the tricky thing about athletics: you have to
perform your best at the given planned opportunities -- one cannot choose to
play at 2 pm when the tournament starts at 8 am; therefore, rest is key for
optimal performance at any time of day.
I also found it hard to believe that the west coast teams outperformed the east coast teams to the level that the article suggests. I was expecting a difference, but one of far less significance.
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"This is the tricky thing about athletics: you have to perform your best at the given planned opportunities... therefore, rest is key for optimal performance at any time of day,"
The article alluded to the possibility of athletes adjusting their rhythm in order to shift their peak performance time closer to the actual time of the game. I am interested in more detail on this because if it is beneficial to keep our sleep schedules consistent, how would adjusting the consistency (in order to achieve what they suggest) affect their athletic performance? Would simply getting a steady, good night of sleep instead of adjusting one's entire circadian rhythm be enough to boost performance? It's definitely the more convenient option.
I also found it interesting that the article stated that peak performance time is in the mid-afternoon. I suppose this makes much more sense than the evening hours when so much energy has already been spent, but my own guess would be that the best athletic performance would occur a little earlier in the day than 3pm. I also wonder if these findings in the athletic world would be applicable to cognitive/intellectual performance among students. For instance, is there a "best time" to take tests during the school day? I wonder if similar studies in the future could look at student performance at different times of the day.
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