Evaluation of chronotypes in young Italian physically active adults

The expression of circadian rhythms can be different in people and this trait can be defined as “circadian typology” or “chronotype”. There are three different chronotypes: Evening-type (E-type), Morning-type (M-type) and Neither-type (N-type). Morning-types show an early sleep-wake cycle and have their best performances in the morning, on the contrary evening-types show a late sleep-wake cycle and they have the best performances in the evening. The circadian typology emerges especially during adolescence and it is influenced by individual factors, like age and sex, and by environmental factors. The chronotype is typically defined by a validated questionnaire, the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ).