Alex Diamond, DO, of Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt Health, said there is a particular time in the day that is best for breaking athletic records, according to an ABC News report.
Here are six things to know:
1. The orthopedist noted late afternoon or early evening is the best time for athletes to break sports records.
2. Several studies show "certain hormones come out at certain times of the day. If they are staggered or altered, you get different impulses," he told ABC News report.
3. These hormones can affect muscle strength and flexibility as well as nerve and motor control.
4. The key hormone affecting the aforementioned factors is the human growth hormone, which typically increases in the late afternoon or early evening.
5. Athletes can also control how these hormones are released by changing their sleep schedule. For example, if an athlete has to compete at midnight, they can alter their sleep schedule such that midnight is their mid-afternoon.
6. Dr. Diamond is an assistant professor of orthopedics and rehabilitation as well as an assistant professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt Health in Nashville, Tenn.. He is also a team physician for the Nashville Predators.