Relationship between chronotype preference and choice of sport participation and time of day of training: insights gained from the ninth all African university game players

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to assess the chronotype orientations of the ninth all African university game players hosted by Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia, 2–6 July 2018. The present cross-sectional study employed a self-reported demographic, training time, and Horne and Ostberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaires (MEQ). Training time and chronotype orientations of 174 (126 males and 48 females) participants, mean age 21.65 ± 2.05 y were assessed. Some 72% (126) of the African University game players were males. Overall, 92 (53%) of the male and female participants’ were I-type and, 82 (47%) of them were M-type; none were E-type. Chronotype preferences did not vary by sex (p = .962). However, a significant difference in chronotype was observed between those experts in skill, concentration, and mixed sports events (p < .001). Players who participated in mixed sports, like football and athletics, were more likely to be M-type. Surprisingly, the habitual training time was misaligned with chronotype orientation in all sports events with the exception of athletics in mixed groups.

KEYWORDS:

• Training time
• chronotype
• all African university games
• players
• sport events
• athletes

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the ninth all African University game players who participated in the study, and we also express our sincere gratitude to FASU and Mekelle University, Ethiopia.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.