ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MEDICINE 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2020 January;60(1):125-31

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.19.09940-7

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Does the moon cycle affect the physical endurance, balance, reaction-time, mood state and well-being in trained athletes?

Narimen YOUSFI ^{1, 2} ✉, Mohamed ARBI MEJRI ^{1, 2}, Sofien KASMI ^{1, 2}, Montassar TABBEN ³, Monoem HADDAD ⁴, Amri HAMMAMI ⁵, Anis CHAOUACHI ^{1, 6, 7}, Karim CHAMARI ³

¹ Sport Performance Optimization Research Laboratory, National Center of Medicine and Science in Sport (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia; ² High Institute of Sport and Physical Education, Ksar-Saïd, Manouba University, Tunis, Tunisia; ³ Athlete Health and Performance Research Center, ASPETAR, Qatar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar, 4 Department of Physical Education, College of Education, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; ⁵ Laboratory of Biochemistry, CHU FarhatHached, Sousse, Tunisia; ⁶ Sports Performance Research Institute, AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand; ⁷ PVF Football Academy, Hang Yen, Vietnam

BACKGROUND: Fascination with the moon has spanned millennia. It has recently been asserted that the moon cycle affects endurance performance in untrained individuals. The present study aimed at investigating the effects of the lunar cycle on intermittent endurance physical performance, balance and reaction-time capabilities, and selected physiological and psychological parameters in trained athletes.
METHODS: Twelve male Taekwondo athletes (age, 22.3±0.8 years; height, 178.8±6.5 cm; body mass, 72.75±7.28 kg; %body fat, 13.9±3.6%) performed the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level-1 (YYIRT), the Y-balance test (YBT), and a reaction-time test (RT) during different lunar cycle phases (new moon (NM), full moon (FM), and half-moon). Participants’ psychological profiles and well-being indices (i.e. a profile of mood state (POMS) and Hooper Index) were also taken during each moon phase. The testing sessions during the different moon phases were performed in a counterbalanced order. The tests order remained the same (POMS, then Hooper index, RT, YBT, YYIRT and rating of perceived exertion scale (RPE)), and all sessions were performed at noon (11:00 to 13:00 h) during the first day of each evaluated lunar phase.
RESULTS: Analysis of variance tests showed that no significant differences were found between the three moon phases in all analyzed variables.
CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the different lunar cycle phases did not have significant effects on the selected physical performances and psychological indices in trained athletes

KEY WORDS: Moon; Lighting; Almanac; Athletic performance