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Summary
Male volunteers showed rhythmic patterns in body temperature and alertness over a 20-day cycle. This study suggests a potential biological rhythm influencing mood and physiological states in men.
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Human Physiology
- Psychology
Background:
- Understanding human biological rhythms is crucial for health and performance.
- Previous research indicates circadian rhythms, but longer-term cycles are less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential longer-term biological rhythms in male volunteers.
- To explore correlations between physiological measures (body temperature) and subjective mood states (alertness).
Main Methods:
- Collected daily body temperature and self-assessed alertness data from male volunteers over 7+ weeks.
- Utilized auto-correlation analysis to identify cyclical patterns in the collected data.
Main Results:
- Significant auto-correlation peaks were observed in body temperature data at approximately 20-day intervals.
- Self-assessed alertness scores also exhibited evidence of rhythmicity, with a period around 22 days.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest the presence of a circa-monthly biological rhythm in men.
- This rhythm may influence both physiological parameters like body temperature and subjective states such as alertness.