Outline

Overview

This unit focuses on developing an understanding of how circadian rhythm impacts athletic performance. The relationship between personal best performance and circadian phenotypes is examined through the predictors of peak performance time and optimal performance. There is an emphasis on the importance of aligning the body clock with the external environment for both health and sports performance. The unit also covers concepts of sleep as a performance enhancer, temporal variation in physiological variables, over-training, muscle damage and fatigue and recovery strategies.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Movement Sciences
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	BIOS1170 or EXSS1036
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Chin Moi Chow, chin-moi.chow@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Yu Sun Bin, yusun.bin@sydney.edu.au
	Daniel Hackett, daniel.hackett@sydney.edu.au
	Chin Moi Chow, chin-moi.chow@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam (Record+)	EXSS2036 Final exam MCQ and short-answer questions	40%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Online Quizzes Four Canvas quizzes: Wk4 (1.5%), Wk9 (2%), Wk13 (1.5%).	5%	Multiple weeks	20-40 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	EXSS2036 Oral Presentation Collect data in-class and outside of class. Analyse and present data	30%	Week 06 Due date: 30 Mar 2022 at 10:00	20 minutes per Team
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	EXSS2036 Debate Debate with an Affirmative and a Negative team, each with 4 members.	25%	Week 08 Due date: 13 Apr 2022 at 10:00	20 minutes per team.
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ? = Type B final exam ?

Assessment summary

Final exam (Record+): Written exam, written exam with non-written elements, however assessed. Worth 40%.
Presentation: Oral presentation worth 30% (plus presentation slides submission)
Online task: Three online quizzes worth a total of 5%.
Debates worth 25% (one-page handout, 5%, in Week 7; Debates 20% in Week 8)

The listed assessments are compulsory except for online quizzes. The details for assessment requirements will be available on CANVAS.

Assessment criteria

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

The standard penalty for late submissions of assessment tasks is 5% of the marks for that task for each delay in submission of a day or partial day up to a maximum of five working days after the due date. This applies to submissions of Oral presentation slides and the Debate 1-page handout.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to Unit of study Lecture: Sleep	Online class (2 hr)
Week 02	Lecture: Sleep and performance; Keeping an internal sense of time	Online class (2 hr)
Week 02	Practical: Chronotype and peak performance time	Practical (2 hr)
Week 03	The circadian clock in sync with the environment	Online class (2 hr)
Week 03	Tutorial 1	Online class (2 hr)
Week 04	Lecture: The circadian clock free running	Online class (2 hr)
Week 05	Lecture: Phase response curve	Online class (2 hr)
Week 06	Oral Presentation Chronotype and performance	Online class (2 hr)
Week 07	Lecture: Temporal variation in physiological variables	Online class (2 hr)
Week 07	Tutorial 2	Online class (2 hr)
Week 08	Debates	Online class (2 hr)
Week 09	Lecture: Circadian rhythms in sports performance	Online class (2 hr)
Week 09	Tutorial 3	Online class (2 hr)
Week 10	Lecture: Circadian phenotype and implications for training and competition	Online class (2 hr)
Week 11	Lecture: Training, over-training, muscle damage and fatigue	Online class (2 hr)
Week 12	Lecture: Muscle damage and fatigue; Strategies for recovery	Online class (2 hr)
Week 12	Tutorial 4	Online class (2 hr)
Week 13	Review lectures	Online class (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance and participation are required for:

Week 2 Practical Session

Week 6 Oral Presentation

Week 8 Debates

Week 15/16 Final Exam

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Rae, D. E., Chin, T., Dikgomo, K., Hill, L., McKune, A. J., Kohn, T. A., & Roden, L. C. (2017). One night of partial sleep deprivation impairs recovery from a single exercise training session. European journal of applied physiology, 117(4), 699-712.
Mah, C. D., Mah, K. E., Kezirian, E. J., & Dement, W. C. (2011). The effects of sleep extension on the athletic performance of collegiate basketball players. Sleep, 34(7), 943-950.
Roenneberg, T., & Merrow, M. (2016). The circadian clock and human health. Current biology, 26(10), R432-R443.
Roenneberg, T., Wirz-Justice, A., Skene, D. J., Ancoli-Israel, S., Wright, K. P., Dijk, D. J., ... & Klerman, E. B. (2019). Why should we abolish daylight saving time?. Journal of biological rhythms, 34(3), 227-230.
Kantermann, T., & Burgess, H. J. (2017). Average mid‐sleep time as a proxy for circadian phase. PsyCh journal, 6(4), 290-291.
Kidd, P. B., Young, M. W., & Siggia, E. D. (2015). Temperature compensation and temperature sensation in the circadian clock. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(46), E6284-E6292.
Thorne, H. C., Jones, K. H., Peters, S. P., Archer, S. N., & Dijk, D. J. (2009). Daily and seasonal variation in the spectral composition of light exposure in humans. Chronobiology International, 26(5), 854-866.
Wever, R. A. (1984). Properties of human sleep-wake cycles: parameters of internally synchronized free-running rhythms. Sleep, 7(1), 27-51.
St Hilaire MA, Gooley JJ, Khalsa SBS, Kronauer RE, Czeisler CA, Lockley SW. Human phase response curve to a 1 h pulse of bright white light. The Journal of Physiology. 2012;590(13):3035-45.
Youngstedt SD, Elliott JA, Kripke DF. Human circadian phase-response curves for exercise. J Physiol. 2019;597(8):2253-68.
Eichner, E. R. (1988). Circadian timekeepers in sports. The Physician and sportsmedicine, 16(2), 78-85.
Vitale, J. A., & Weydahl, A. (2017). Chronotype, physical activity, and sport performance: a systematic review. Sports Medicine, 47(9), 1859-1868.
Facer-Childs, E., & Brandstaetter, R. (2015). The impact of circadian phenotype and time since awakening on diurnal performance in athletes. Current biology, 25(4), 518-522.
Facer-Childs, E. R., Middleton, B., Skene, D. J., & Bagshaw, A. P. (2019). Resetting the late timing of ‘night owls’ has a positive impact on mental health and performance. Sleep medicine, 60, 236-247.

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Reading List, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Demonstrate knowledge in the physiology of sleep and sleep as a performance enhancer
LO2. Comprehend the entrainment concept of the body clock and the external environment cue of light-dark cycle
LO3. Apply the knowledge of light and exercise as zeitgebers to phase-shifting and its application to circadian misalignments
LO4. Demonstrate competency in the skills of: a) reporting (data gathering, analysis and interpretation) b) oral presentation (organisation and visualisation)
LO5. Recognise the impact of circadian timing on physiological, physical and cognitive performance
LO6. Understand the underlying chronotype on optimal athletic performance
LO7. Understand the circadian rhythms of muscle strength and fatigue and strategies for recovery

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Additional information

Work, health and safety

The Work Health and Safety practical induction checklist must be completed by each student in consultation with the tutor.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

EXSS2036: The Body Clock and Athletic Performance

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect