《中英對照讀新聞》Bedtime has huge impact on sport 就寢時間對運動有巨大影響

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Our internal body clock has such a dramatic impact on sporting ability that it could alter the chances of Olympic gold, say researchers. Early risers reached their athletic peak around lunchtime, while night owls were best in the evening.

研究人員說，我們內部的身體時鐘對運動能力有極大影響，大到甚至可能改變奧運金牌的機率。早起的人約在午餐時間達到運動巔峰，夜貓子表現最好的時候則是傍晚。

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The body clock controls everything - from alertness to the risk of a heart attack - in a daily rhythm.

這種身體時鐘以日常節奏控制從警覺性到心臟病發機率的一切事情。

Some aspects of sporting ability were thought to peak in early afternoon but a study in the journal Current Biology suggests each competitor’s sleeping habits have a powerful impact.

某些部分的運動能力被認為會在過午不久達到巔峰，但《當代生物學》期刊的研究顯示，每個競爭者的睡眠習慣具有強大影響。

Lead researcher Dr Roland Brandstaetter told the BBC News website: "Athletes and coaches would benefit greatly if they knew when optimal or suboptimal performance time was."

領導研究者布蘭德施泰特告訴英國廣播公司新聞網站：「運動員與教練如果知道何時是最佳或次佳的表現時間，將大幅獲益。」

新聞辭典

dramatic：劇烈的。例句：We usually prefer gradual and mild change to sudden and dramatic change.（我們通常比較希望逐步且溫和的改變，而非突然且急遽的改變。）

alertness：名詞，機敏、機警。例句：I’m not feeling very alert today - not enough sleep last night!（今天我感覺特別遲鈍——昨晚沒睡好！）

optimal (＝optimum)：形容詞，最佳的、最適宜的。例句：A mixture of selected funds is an optimum choice for future security and return on investment.（同時選擇數種基金是未來投資安全與收益的最佳選擇。）