Biological clock: what it is and how our chronobiology works

There is a compass, a timer inside us that is in charge of giving our body its own rhythm and that he adapts it according to the time of day so that it works in a certain way at a certain time. It is about the human biological clock.

The biological clock is an idea that you have probably already heard of, probably mentioned in terms of when women become mothers; but it is much more relevant than this. Discoveries that have been made about the biological clock and how it regulates our body during the day they are wonderful. We will tell you about them below.

• Related article: "How to be a morning person (and wake up energetic)”

What is a biological clock

In the morning we wake up with energy to carry out activities and when night comes, the day becomes darker and darker, we feel sleepy and we sleep. It's been like this all our lives and we don't even wonder why. But it turns out that our body has a biological clock that takes care of just that, schedule all the tasks and functions of our day to day. When we look closely at what it does, it is fascinating.

Thanks to the 3 winners of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Medicine, today we can understand that our internal clock or biological clock is an internal mechanism that is in charge of programming or regulating the functions of our body like sleep, metabolism, hormones and behavior in sync with the movements of the earth. This internal mechanism has been part of the human body (and other organisms) since the beginning of our existence.

Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbach and Michael Young were the ones who discovered the gene in our body that confirms the existence of the clock biological, which until then we knew existed because something had to give us that cyclical functioning that is the rhythm circadian. It's about the PER protein (period) and TIM protein (timeless) who work together to activate the cells of the biological clock gene: period.

Thanks to this discovery, medicine and science have been able to expand their field of study in which they have found a direct relationship between alterations in the biological clock and diseases that arise as a result of it. At the same time we now know what are the best times of the day to perform certain activities according to what the biological clock is doing in our body.

Chronobiology: the best times to perform each activity

Thanks to the biological clock and before we could understand it, we did activities that could seem somewhat obvious at certain times, like sleeping at night when the body is going to repose.

The truth is that we can coordinate the other activities of our day to day with our biological clock, to get the most out of our body and to the energy available at all times, to have a better quality of life.

Keep in mind that these data that we present to you work better when we have our biological clock centered, that is, when we have a relatively coordinated daily routine every day, in which we wake up at the same time and eat at the same times. If your routines change considerably, it is advisable that you set your biological clock at a constant rate.

From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.: wake up and have sex

This is the best time to wake up and start activating, because it is the moment in which the secretion of melatonin stops (specifically at 7:30) and our functions begin to move. You are likely to have a bowel movement at this time, as the intestine is reactivated.

Now, at 9:00 is when our boy is hotter than ever because the body reaches the higher peak testosterone, this is why we find the famous 'morning'. They say that the best way to start the day is by having sex, because the body is rested and a great way to reduce stress.

• Related article: "How to turn a man on in bed (with 7 infallible tricks)”

From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.: make decisions and organize business meetings

At 10 in the morning is when our body reaches its maximum level of awakening and our brain is at its highest level, so reflecting, making decisions and organizing work meetings is perfect at this time of day.

Between 10 and 12 noon our cortisol levels are at their highest, which makes reasoning easier logical, being attentive to details, doing activities that require short-term memory and, in general, it is the moment when we are most productive.

Most of us think that the best time to exercise is when we wake up because we are more active, but we are more active for brain activity; time for physical activity is later.

12 a.m. to 2 p.m.: lunchtime

According to our biological clock, this is the best time to give the injection of energy and nutrients from food to our body, as gastric activity increases and there is a decrease in lunch levels. That is why it is normal that we feel some sleep after eating, especially if we have not chosen balanced foods.

As a curious fact, we tell you that in this period of time, we also have the moment when we achieve better coordination (at 2:30 p.m.) and a higher reaction speed (at 3:30 p.m.).

At 4pm: to study

If you need to study and review knowledge, this is a very good time for it, because our body is more receptive to study. Of course, keep in mind that this depends on whether you have had a good few hours of sleep according to what the biological clock needs, as well as the foods that you have eaten in the meal.

From 5pm to 7pm: the best time for exercise

According to the study of our biological clock, at 5 in the afternoon it is when we have greater muscle strength and flexibility and better cardiovascular efficiency. Around 6 in the afternoon, blood pressure rises and around 7 in the afternoon is when our body temperature is higher, so it is the best time to sweat, exercise and achieve better results with the training.

You didn't expect it, did you? Well, many high performance athletes and bodybuilders have changed their morning training hours to this time slot and have obtained better results and much fewer injuries.

• Related article: "Exercises to burn abdominal fat: 4 routines to lose belly”

From 7pm to 8pm: dinner

It is well known that as night approaches, our biological clock tells us that the time to rest is approaching and processes food much more slowly. So from 7 to 8 pm you must make the last dinner of the day, which must also be light so that you do not gain weight, since at night while you sleep your metabolism will not process excess food.

Of course, if you fancy a drink, this is the time of day when, according to the biological clock, the liver metabolizes alcohol better and intuitive thinking is more awake.

From 9pm to 11pm: time to sleep

At 9 o'clock at night the secretion of melatonin begins and with it, sleep. In addition, our body temperature drops and our intestinal activities stop, so the biological clock is indicating that it is time to go to bed.

Many studies indicate that the key to living a healthy life is to respect your sleep cycles and keep them on track. Synchronized with the biological clock, so if you are not going to bed at this time yet, it is time to start doing it.

• Related article: "12 ways to fight insomnia effectively”

From 11pm to 6am: we sleep

At this time we should be asleep according to our internal clock, since many of our functions decrease, such as attention, or are paralyzed, such as intestinal. Around 2:00 am is when we achieve the deepest state of sleep and regenerative and around 4:30 the lowest body temperature of the day, and then gradually waking up our functions again around 6:00 am.

After reading this, what are you waiting for to get your biological clock in order and get all the benefits that come from it. Try it for a few days and you will notice the difference.