Does Chronotype affect elite athletes capacity to cope with the training demands of triathlon

Aims: The aims of the present study were to identify the chronotype of Australia’s elite triathletes and to determine whether morning-types (M-types) compared to neither-types (N-types) and evening-types (E-types) are better able to cope with the demands of early morning training. Methods: Twenty-three elite triathletes (7 female and 16 male) from the Australian Institute of Sport were surveyed at the start of a training camp. Participants completed the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and two questions concerning sleep satisfaction and sleep quality. Participants were assigned to a chronotype group on the basis of MEQ scores using the Horne and Ostberg classification system. Independent samples t-tests were used to compare subjective sleep variables (i.e. daytime sleepiness, sleep satisfaction, sleep quality) between chronotype groups. Results: Twelve participants were N-types, 11 were M-types and nil participants were E-types. There was no difference in daytime sleepiness, sleep satisfaction, sleep quality between M-types and N-types. There was no difference in the gender distribution between chronotype groups. Discussion: The results from the present study revealed that triathletes at the elite level tend to show either a morning or neither preference. There were no E-types within this sample of elite triathletes. This finding supports the notion that E-types do not select sports which require early morning training. Further, no differences were found for daytime sleepiness, sleep satisfaction, and sleep quality between Mtypes and N-types.