Women amateur street runners have a higher level of chronotype self- perception than men

Abstract

Aim:

The aims of the present study were to verify the self-perception level of the chronotype of amateur street runners and to test the association between the chronotype, gender, age, and preferred training time.

Methods:

A total of 166 amateur street runners were included (♀ = 89, age 38.9 ± 11.2 years; ♂ = 77, age 38.0 ± 9.7 years). The Brazilian version of the Horne & östberg questionnaire was used to assess chronotypes and the preferred training time was determined through a multiple choice question. Based on chronotype definitions that suggest that when free to choose, morning-types (MT) would prefer training in the morning, evening-types (ET) in the evening and neither-types (NT) would not have a predilection for any specific time. The corroboration of this hypothesis was assumed as self-perception level of the chronotypes.

Results:

Women showed higher self-perception levels of their chronotype compared to men (58.4% vs. 41.6%; χ² = 4.699; p = 0.030). By chronotypes, MT, NT, and ET self-perception levels were 73.9%, 15.9%, 88.9%, respectively (χ² = 57.489; p < 0.001). The most observed women circadian typology was MT, while in men it was NT (χ² = 8.951; p = 0.011). However, there was no significant association between gender and preferred training time (χ² = 2.654; p = 0.265). Age, female gender and preference to exercise during the day are associated with MT.

Conclusion:

Women runners showed a greater perception of their circadian traits than men, despite there was no association between gender and preferred training time.

Keywords
age; chronobiology phenomena; circadian rhythm; gender; running