Neurotypes and Chronotypes

[bert2145]

Hi CT,

Somebody mentioned on another thread recently about chronotypes so I looked deeper into the topic.
I’m not sure if you are familiar with it, but based on your interest and knowledge towards psychology, I’ll make a bold assumption to say you are. (Apologies if I’m wrong)
I took the test and it says I’m a Lion, which is pretty accurate given my daily schedules, my approach to things and outlook on life.
However, the Neurotype test has me as a 1B, with reasonably close 1A secondary, and as it is Type 1s especially Bs are novelty seekers.
Aparently, a Lion Chronotype isn’t the most novelty seeking type, but the Wolf, which pretty much describes my partner, who tested as a 2B, with 2A and 3 scoring close.

I’m not expecting you to solve my life, I wanted to use us as examples, as these are the only ones I have.

What I’m curious about is the relationship (if there is significant or any) between Chronotypes and Neurotypes.

Appreciate your time in advance Coach!

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

I have not read about chronotypes. It’s a foreign concept to me but I’ll check it out.

[bert2145]

It is a pretty reasonable idea, at least to me it seems, but there are some differences with dietary and training timing recommendations, (the reasoning and perspective is different as to why things are placed certain times).

I appreciate a lot if you look into it, but please only do so if it fits in your time and you have interest in it. I realize that this is free ‘Q&A’, and reviewing a lengthy psychologycal concept may not fit the criteria for free help, except if it interests you as well.

Edit: Lengthy in regards to the book, the quiz/test and the info on Google is rather short, even too short for adequate information, but gives a good picture of the concept.

I sincerely appreciate your time and work you put into not only your buyables but your articles and this forum Coach, it is truly exceptional.

[jav88]

Chronotypes are more related to sleep than training. Since growth happens during recovery, sleep should be as important as training and nutrition but unfortunately is waaay underated as a performance/growth enhancer. Just look to any web forum regarding sports and you will rarely find someone asking about sleep improvement. Everybody talks and asks about training, nutrition and supplements, but not about sleeping.

If you would like to correlate Neurotypes and Chronotypes it has to be under the light of neurochemistry. CT has talked a lot about it regarding Neurotypes, so I guess that if you take a look at the optimal hormonal time to sleep you will have YOUR answer.

Why do I place “your” in capital letters? Simple. Because the time and type of training will depend on your needs and goals.

For example, let´s take someone who is a Dolphin Chronotype who has trouble to get deep sleep, wake up unrested, feels tired during the day but with a spurt of energy during the evening
In this case what would be the perfect time to train early morning, noon, or evening?
I would say that any of them…regarding your prorities and needs
If you wake up unrested, low energy during the day and you have a daytime job that requires you to be fully awake and assertive I would say that best time to train would be early in the morning to get energized and awake. In this very same case it would be a mistake to train late since you naturally have a spurt of energy, you could get more energized with training, and then having troubles to fall asleep. Obviously next day you may feel terribly tired.
But if you don´t have those needs and can afford the luxury of getting asleep late at night, and also you have the priority of increasing your training performance; then the best time to train it would be in the afternoon to take advantage of the energy spurt.

With Lions would be something similar, if the priority of someone with that chronotype would be to take advantage of being sharper in the morning and having lots of energy to improve his business, generate new ideas or projects, thinking on novel approaches to solve troubles, etc. Then training may not be the best choice in the morning unless that the energy and clarity of mind gets even better with training. But even in that case, if your job or activities also require being assertive and energized in the afternoon, it may be a good idea to train at noon.

Your question is an interesting one but I think it has not just one answer. At least that´s the way I see it. It would be interesting to see CTs answer to your question

On YT there is a video of Rhonda Patrick about it. It’s called Chronotypes: Your natural propensity to be an early riser or night owl | Matthew Walker

Check it out as well as the recommended videos that you will see below. There are plenty of them regarding this issue and they may be helpful to answer your question

Have a nice day

[bert2145]

This is similar to what I was thinking. I certainly am curious of CTs take on the subject myself, because it’s an interesting debate.

I don’t know if you read/listened to the book, it goes into the details on when is the best time in the day to do pretty much everything. Strength, run, yoga, eat, snack(healthy), business, sales, relax, read and much more. And it has some correlating but some opposing ideas too, such as suggesting a high protein dinner with no more carbs than protein, which is great if you plan on socialising after (as a Lion), yet as a Neurotype 1B I prefer higher carb dinner because I like to push my serionin to get an even better sleep. He does suggest high protein high fat no/low carb breakfast which I agree with, I actually have been doing it even before Neurotyping came out, I just kind of realised it leaves me with more energy.

Anyway, there are some complimentary and some conflicting information in the 2 concepts and it’s interesting to contemplate how they mix.

Have a nice day yourself

[jav88]

Just remember that these, neuro or chronotypes, are just general calssifications, archetypes; so what this kind of placing tags on people it is practical fro general approaches at the end you have to fine tune what works best for you or individualize what works best for a client according to their type, needs or situation.

Maybe you are or have someone who normally has a great sleep with protein and fats, for example; but then either for stress, workout overload, or jetlag he/she is suffering to get asleep. Wouldn´t you switch to a low protein high carb dinner trying to create a better neurotransmitter environment for sleeping? Of course you will do, this is a very dynamic stuff; but one more time…I am NOT CT…LOL

Keep experimenting with yourself and keep a diary

[bert2145]

What you just said there is pretty much the key to anything of this nature, be it neurotyping, training programming, nutrition, supplements etc.
Experiment, keep a diary, fine tune based on results and findings. Don’t get me wrong I beleive in doing something as written at least once before starting to fine tune anything in it, as the person designing that program is likely to know the ins and outs of it better than me, at least in the case of someone credible like CT, Wendler etc.