Increasingly, scientists are inviting athletes into the lab to investigate the ef­fects of body rhythms on athletic performance. Most exercise-related rhythms, including heart rate, manual dexterity and reaction time, peak in the afternoon and evening. The result is “a window of opportunity between noon and 9 p.m., when we’re likely to be at our physi­cal—if not mental—best,” says exercise physiologist Tom Reilly of the Liverpool John Moores University in England.
Numerous studies of swimmers, soccer play­ers, rowers and long jumpers suggest there is in­deed an afternoon performance edge. “The ma­jority of athletes in these studies performed better later in the day,” says Dr. Reilly. And only two Olympic track and field records since 1945 have been broken before noon.

There also seems to be a psychological compo­nent to the peak performance phenomenon. At least one study indicates that “perceived exer­tion,” meaning how difficult a workout feels, is lowest in the evening. Reilly had 10 women com­plete a weight training circuit in the morning, then again in the evening. Even though they lifted the same amount of weight both times, they reported that the morning workout was more difficult.

You can determine your own peak perfor­mance time by plotting your temperature every couple of hours for several days in a row. lit will vary by as much as 1.5° throughout the day.) “Theoretically,” says Reilly, “you’ll perform best during the period three hours before and after your daily temperature high-4 p.m. or 5 p.m. for most people.” If you’re a morning person, expect your peak to be an hour or two earlier than aver­age; night owls, on the other hand, peak slightly later than the norm. (As we age, peak perfor­mance time shifts toward the morning, perhaps because older people tend to go to bed and get up earlier, which moves their body clocks ahead.)

Of course, genetic ability, training and motiva­tion also influence how well we perform. But be­ing aware of your body rhythms can make a dif­ference. One study of a dozen swimmers who worked out on an arm and shoulder machine found that when they exercised at the wrong time of day—too long before or after their circa­dian peaks—their performance dipped 10%, the equivalent of working out on three hours of sleep or after drinking a couple of glasses of wine.
It makes sense, then, to harness your circadian rhythms if you’re looking to gain an edge on the track or playing field. If you must compete in a minimarathon at 7 a.m. and you don’t usually rise until 8 a.m., try getting up a few hours earlier for several weeks beforehand, in order to shift your circadian peak toward morning. If your schedule (or personality) mandates a morning workout, warm-up exercises and stretches are even more important than they are later in the day (body temperature is lowest when you awaken). And people with heart trouble should avoid vigorous workouts before noon, when heart attacks are most common. The heart-healthy, of course, should feel free to work out at any time of day.—MARY GARNER GANSKE

This post has been sponsored by AliveByNature.com

Doctor Oz reaches tens of millions of people daily on his popular tv show. Not only is he a huge celebrity, he is very trusted on health and diet. His professional background as a top cardiovascular surgeon lends instant credibility, while his passion and curiosity for researching new products (and natural showmanship) make him very popular.

But, some people question how credible some of his health and diet tips really are, given the string of “hot” diet fads he has started. They wonder if all these things are so great, why do so many people still fail to lose weight?

We think much of the criticism is unfounded. There are many reasons that some things work for some people, but not for others, that we will cover below. But the biggest reason for the confusion we see is what we call, the “Oz Effect”

Beware the Oz Effect!

That sounds a little scary. Its not really – we just mean you should “be aware” that once Dr Oz features a product on his show it often creates a frenzy. Shady marketers will

• create new websites to take advantage gullible buyers, pushing made up brands and crappy products
• They advertise heavily – more people end up buying these crappy products than those from a good supplier that doesn’t advertise

• The victims of scammers don’t realize how weak and ineffective the brand they bought is, and just assume the product itself doesn’t work for them, or maybe even assume it doesn’t work for anybody
• Through word of mouth, the product gets a bad reputation and Dr Oz credibility takes an undeserved hit

It’s really ironic that Dr Oz endorsement is sometimes a BAD thing for a product in the long run. Not always, but if he is too enthusiastic like he was with Green Coffee, it creates a frenzy that allows the scammers jump in and make ridiculous, exagerrated claims, while pushing a crappy product (usually with “free trials”). And a lot of buyers of these crappy products report bad results, harming the reputation of Dr Oz, and the product.

Yacon Products Offer Weight Loss Success

Yacon is one of the most promising weight loss supplements to emerge on the market. Various studies have found that it both promoted weight loss, and even the television medical expert Dr. Oz has featured it on his show with a panel of experts. Ever since the Dr. Oz episode, it has rivaled garcinia cambogia as one of the best weight loss supplements because it is healthy, filling, and all natural.

This vegetable can be found in a variety of different forms. One of the most common is a syrup, which the dieter takes a swallow of with each meal three times a day. It can also be taken as a powder. Both come from the yacon plant of Andean South America, which has been a popular part of the diet there since Incan times. It is a potato-like vegetable high in fiber, so it is very filling, and also low in calories, making it an easy addition to any diet. Plus, since yacon supplements has a low glycemic index, so it breaks down slowly and has less affect upon the blood sugar.

Many products reach the market as an all-natural weight loss secret, but this yacon syrup actually does have some solid research backing its claims. For one, there was a 120-day, double-blind placebo study which found significant weight loss among obese patients taking the supplement. Dr. Oz also tested out this vegetable and syrup with a group of sixty women and the results of his study show tremendous promise as well. Forty women completed the project and lost an average of 2.9 pounds. Fourteen lost more than five pounds. These results are a sign of how well the syrup can assist in sustainable, healthy weight loss.

Yacon syrup and power work with the probiotic bacteria which live in the gut. It contains Fructooligosaccharide, or FOS, which tastes sweet but is processed in the body more slowly than sugar and causes that regulation of blood sugar. The high concentration of fiber leaves people feeling fuller longer and according to Dr. Oz, it also reduces the hunger hormones and suppresses the appetite so people can eat less without feeling as hungry afterwards.

This wonderful weight loss product works just as well as garcinia cambogia at promoting weight loss, and it does so in a natural manner with few side effects. Its tremendous promise is matched by results, and supported by medical experts.