Chronobiology in Sport

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Meet the Team

Overview of Studies

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We're currently working hard on the designs of our future studies.
Upon finalization, you will find information and how to participate here.

Full Project Description

The ChronoBlue project, funded by the Peter Beate Heller Foundation, investigates how targeted exposure to blue light can influence the human internal clock in order to support physical and cognitive performance, well-being, and recovery.Set against the backdrop of the evolutionary biological “heritage” of a vital circadian clock and the structure of a 24/7 society, ChronoBlue aims to identify and correct compromised chronobiological processes in such a way that performance and health can be brought into better and healthier alignment in everyday life, in sports, and under demanding conditions.The starting point of the project is that light represents the strongest stimulus for influencing the body’s circadian rhythm. In particular, the blue component of sunlight acts via melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells in the retina on the neurons of the internal clock, which is located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. Through neuronal and humoral signals, the SCN coordinates, among other things, the sleep–wake cycle, hormone release, body temperature, and daily variations in performance.Persistent misalignments between the circadian rhythm and a social schedule arise, for example, when daily routines regularly begin earlier than an individual’s chronotype would dictate. As a result, many people experience daily “social jet lag,” that is, a chronic discrepancy between their genetically determined biological rhythm and a social schedule that requires them to start their day earlier than their chronotype would naturally allow. Similar symptoms can be observed in classical jet lag after traveling across multiple time zones, when the internal clock has not yet adapted to the new local time.ChronoBlue therefore combines fundamental research with application-oriented intervention. In close collaboration with the German Swimming Federation (DSV), athletic performance data, psychometric parameters, and physiological markers are collected under controlled conditions in order to precisely investigate the effects of blue light applied during chronobiologically sensitive time windows. Competitive sport provides a particularly clear and measurable context in which the influence of time of day and biological rhythms on performance becomes evident—for example in early competitions, travel across multiple time zones, or preparation for major international events such as the Olympic Games.The particular added value of the project lies in the transferability of findings obtained from athletes to the general population. ChronoBlue aims to demonstrate how the characteristics of natural light environments can be made specifically accessible under controlled conditions—even in contexts where access to natural light, forests, and natural environments is limited in everyday life. Based on the specific insights gained through collaboration with the DSV, evidence-based recommendations can be derived for the general population, helping to improve health and performance in urban living environments and demanding working conditions through targeted (blue) light exposure.In this way, ChronoBlue builds a bridge between modern neurobiological basic research in chronobiology and the fields of sports and health sciences.