BIOLOGICAL CLOCK: WHAT IS IT, HOW DOES IT WORK, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? - IN SHAPE

Biological clock: what it is, how it works, why it is important for health

The rhythm of our biological clock is regulated by the alternation of light and dark, which we must commit ourselves to respect as much as possible to preserve physical and psychological balance. For example, if we do something like eat at night, at a time when the body is set up for rest, this will lead to metabolism imbalances as well as weight gain. Before continuing to explore the topic, we suggest the video below.

What is the biological clock?

We all have a biological clock, even if there are those who follow it scrupulously and those who do not, with not a few damage to their health.In short, the "biological clock regulates the body's metabolic processes by controlling the circadian rhythm. It is based inHypothalamus, where a group of cells called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), through a very complex mechanism, synchronizes all the biological activities of the organism.

This work is carried out on a 24-hour cycle by adapting the body's natural biological rhythms to the external ones of alternating day / night. It is precisely the light and the dark that regulate our biological clock: on the one hand, light blocks the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep, making us stay awake, on the other, the darkness encourages its production by making us feel the need to rest.

Obviously, having made these premises, it will be easy to understand that the biological clock is not the same for everyone, but has differences depending on personal characteristics. There are those who feel more active in the morning and those who, on the contrary, have energy to spare in the evening hours. Regardless of these differences, however, respecting the circadian rhythms marked by the biological clock is important because it is primarily good for health. Let's see which activities to favor at certain times of the day and which at others.

Biological clock: how does it work? Each activity has its own schedule

We said that all biological clocks are regulated by the core of suprachiasmatic cells: after receiving the information on the light coming from the outside, they adapt the internal biological rhythms that is why it can be deduced that it is better to engage in some activities during the hours of light, postponing others to the hours of darkness.

In the morning, from 06:00 to 9:00, cortisol increases and melatonin decreases until it disappears, the body is ready for a gradual awakening, but at this stage it is not yet fully active. On Mondays, in particular, since the body is set on the "abundant sleep" of the weekend, it can be defined in a state of "social jet leg", a phase shift that favors obesity bad habits (e.g. smoking). At this stage it is best to avoid strenuous physical activity.
From 9 to 12 cortisol increases again and the body is in full swing: it is no coincidence that these are the hours most dedicated to work or school and in general, we should reserve the most demanding activities of the day for this time slot.
From 12:00 to 15:00 digestion has started after lunch and this leads to a sense of sleepiness. If our meal has been rich in carbohydrates, sugars and fats, it will be easier to be assailed by the desire to sleep. This is a very delicate phase, in which car accidents often occur, so if you have the possibility, better a walk on foot or a short nap. Better not to take alcohol that would add up to digestive difficulties making everything more complicated.

From 15:00 to 18:00 it's the best time to play sports. The muscles are more toned and will certainly perform better, so in addition to physical activity you can perform tasks that require good dexterity: precision jobs to be done at home or at work. Avoid sleeping during these hours.
In the late afternoon, from 18:00 to 21:00, hunger occurs, but it is always better to avoid binging in favor of a light dinner. Liver and intestine struggle to digest fats and sugars so it is better to avoid them for dinner, asking the nutritionist to recommend the most suitable foods for your body. the best time to brainstorm: according to some studies it seems that we are more able to think outside the box, giving birth to winning creative ideas.
From 21:00 to 00:00 the body begins to secrete melatonin to facilitate falling asleep. Proper night sleep is likely to be disturbed if you linger over to do sports after dinner. Even using smartphones, tablets and PCs during this time slot risks keeping us awake: the blue light emitted by the screens interferes with the production of melatonin.
From 00:00 to 03:00 the body is in the deepest phase of rest during which the memories of the day are consolidated and the internal organs relax. Those who are forced to stay awake at night for work, especially in the long run, have a higher risk of developing breast cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, strokes and heart attacks.
From 03:00 to 06:00 body temperature drops to a minimum, melatonin slowly begins to decrease, and the body prepares for a gradual awakening.

What happens when the biological clock is out of order?

The biological clock "is out of order" when one's circadian rhythm is not respected or if irregular rhythms and habits are pursued. It often happens to those who travel for work by moving a few time zones in a short time, but there may also be other circumstances that affect the biorhythm. People with a forward-shifted circadian rhythm should prefer work that starts late in the morning and ends late at night, but this isn't always easy.
In general, sleeping little and badly increases the risk of high blood pressure from breast cancer, obesity, stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart attack.
What is the remedy for all this? Maintain regular rhythms and habits, trying to go to sleep at the same time as much as possible and ensure a sufficient number of hours of rest per night. Finally, try to adapt your daily activities following the outline of the previous paragraph to reap the maximum benefits.

Are you an owl or a lark? Test your biological clock

There is a fun test to test your biological clock trying to figure out if we are more Owls or larks.
Through a series of questions regarding our daily habits you can identify your chronotype and by analyzing the results, you can distinguish the group of "owls", people with a circadian cycle shifted forward, from that of "larks", people with early circadian; finally, there would be two other chronotypes corresponding to a group of very active people both in the morning and in the evening, and a small percentage who, on the other hand, feel tired throughout the day.

Here is the profile of the owl: does it reflect you?
Owls suffer from "social jet lag" and struggle to stay active all day like larks. They are the typical sleepers, they love to wake up late in the morning and are very productive in the evening. Only if an activity they love awaits them in the morning can they make an effort to get up early.

Below, however, the profile of the lark.
The larks are early risers and their biological clock is shifted back from the actual time of the day. If you have turned out to be a lark, it means that you reach your maximum productivity already before noon, but on the contrary, you feel tired in the early hours of the evening. Despite this, the larks can stay up late if they are doing an activity of certain interest.

In Central Europe we can count more owls than larks, although most of the people are of a mixed type and do not fully respond to either the description of the owl or that of the lark. The reasons are not known, it could depend on genes, but also on how much artificial light affects our behavior.