If you’ve been in the iron game long enough, you start to notice patterns. Some clients are absolutely on fire during their morning workouts, others, well, they might be a zombie until noon. Some athletes perform brilliantly in evening competitions but are painfully on the struggle bus during morning training sessions. The answer is probably a whole lot simpler than you think; chronotypes.
Your chronotype is said to be your body’s natural preference for when you want to sleep, wake up, and even perform. I like to think of it more like the Clock systems own personality. Some folks are natural early birds (we call them early chronotypes or ECTs), others are night owls (late chronotypes or LCTs), and many fall somewhere in between.
But here’s where it gets interesting for you as a coach: research shows that understanding and leveraging chronotypes can dramatically impact performance. We’re talking about significant differences in cognitive function, athletic performance, and overall well-being. In this article I’m going to break down what the science tells us and how you can use this knowledge to optimize your clients’ results.
The research is pretty eye-opening. Studies using tools like the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire (MCTQ) have shown that late chronotypes get absolutely crushed when they’re forced to perform in the morning compared to early types. We’re talking significantly impaired performance across all cognitive measures when night owls try to function during their non-optimal hours.
Check out these stats: while about 40% of the general population are late chronotypes, only around 10% of elite athletes fall into this category. Makes you think, right? Are late chronotypes being systematically filtered out of elite sports because traditional training schedules favor early birds? Or is there something else at play here?
The performance differences aren’t subtle either. Research using the Korean Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire found that early chronotypes consistently outperform late types in measures like mean power output, peak power, and overall athletic performance. Plus, they get better sleep quality—which we know is crucial for recovery and adaptation.
Let’s get specific about what we’re dealing with:
Early Chronotypes (ECTs) are your classic morning people. They naturally wake up early, feel most alert in the first half of the day, and tend to wind down earlier in the evening. Their sleep-wake cycles run significantly earlier than late types, and they perform at their cognitive and physical peak during morning hours.
Late Chronotypes (LCTs) are the night owls. They prefer to function later in the day, have delayed sleep-wake cycles, and often show delayed dim light melatonin onset (DLMO). These individuals typically struggle with morning obligations but can be absolute monsters during evening training sessions.
Intermediate Chronotypes fall somewhere in the middle and represent the largest portion of most populations. They’re more flexible than the extreme types but still have subtle preferences for certain times of day.
Using standardized questionnaires like the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, you can categorize people on a scale from 16 to 86, ranging from extreme morning types (70-86) to extreme evening types (16-30).
For coaches and athletes, here’s the game-changer: while chronotype can strongly influence performance timing, for the vast majority of people, chronotype is not set in stone. Years of habits, especially exposure to artificial light at night and inconsistent routines, can train your internal clocks to operate like a “night owl.” In reality, only a very small percentage of people have genetics that truly shift their circadian rhythm—most people’s clocks are shaped by environment and daily choices.
That’s where my Core Clock Cues system comes in; it gives you the tools to take charge and reset your body’s timing for peak performance. Instead of accepting chronotype as a fixed constraint, you can actively shift and optimize it.
Applying these cues, most people can shift from a “night owl” pattern to a schedule that supports earlier and higher-quality activity and recuperation, without fighting their biology.
Chronic misalignment, as seen in shift workers, phase shifts the clock. Living out of sync with your natural clock due to years of unhealthy routines ultimately leads to real, measurable drops in performance: up to 26% swing in a single day depending on timing. But when you use the Core Clock Cues to retrain your system, you can unlock reliable energy, sharper focus, and superior athletic outcomes. Early and late types alike can adjust toward routines that maximize both cognitive and physical output.
Still, not everyone will be on board with such profound behavior or habit change. Some athletes may resist modifying their routines, no matter how compelling the science. Sometimes it’s worth it staying until 2AM finishing up that Dynasty on NCAA. For those cases, you can use your expanded knowledge of chronotype to your advantage; schedule practices, lifting sessions, or skill work based on their natural peaks. adapting your strategy, you can still help every athlete reach their potential.
Key Takeaways:
We now have several research validated tools at your disposal for chronotype assessment:
The Munich ChronoType Questionnaire (MCTQ) is considered the gold standard. It calculates corrected mid-sleep on free days (MSFsc) and gives you a precise picture of someone’s natural timing preferences.
The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) is another solid option that’s been used extensively in research. It provides scores that clearly categorize individuals from definitely morning types to definitely evening types.
For a quick assessment, you can also observe behavioral patterns: When do they naturally wake up without an alarm? When do they feel most alert and energetic? When do they prefer to go to bed? These simple questions can give you a good starting point.
Don’t overlook sleep quality metrics either. Tools like the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) can help you identify chronotype-related sleep issues. A global PSQI score of 5 or greater indicates clinically significant sleep problems that warrant further attention.
Now let’s talk application. How do you actually use this information to improve your coaching?
Schedule Optimization is your first move. If you’re working with early chronotypes, front-load their high-intensity training sessions. Schedule technical skill work, strength training, and cognitively demanding tasks during morning hours when they’re naturally peaked.
For late chronotypes, flip it. Save the intense stuff for afternoon and evening sessions. Use morning time for light movement, mobility work, or low-intensity aerobic training.
Team Dynamics matter too. Research suggests that chronotype distribution within a team is highly predictive of overall performance. If you’re coaching team sports, consider how practice times might favor certain chronotypes over others. You might need to implement individualized warm-up protocols or adjust expectations based on natural timing preferences.
Recovery Protocols should also be chronotype-specific. Early types might benefit from earlier bedtimes and morning light exposure to maintain their natural rhythms. Late types might need strategies to shift their timing slightly earlier for better alignment with training schedules.
This is where things get really interesting. Recent research suggests that late chronotypes can be shifted toward earlier timing through targeted interventions, and the benefits are impressive.
One study used non-pharmacological interventions to phase-advance night owls over three weeks. The protocol included:
The results? Significant improvements in self-reported depression and stress, plus better cognitive performance and physical strength during typically suboptimal morning hours. The participants maintained better grip strength and faster reaction times even when tested during their previously problematic morning periods.
Watch for these warning signs that suggest chronotype-training schedule misalignment:
Performance inconsistencies where an athlete crushes evening sessions but struggles during morning training could indicate chronotype issues rather than motivation problems.
Sleep quality complaints are huge red flags. If someone reports difficulty falling asleep, frequent wake-ups, or feeling unrested despite adequate sleep duration, chronotype mismatch might be the culprit.
