The physiological response to a given stimulus often depends on context. Specifically, the effects of certain variables involve interactions with other variables that do not all necessarily exert their influences at the same time. Many metabolic and behavioural parameters follow repeating patterns each day and this rhythmicity is linked to the temporal relationship between cycles in variables such as light exposure, sleep, activity and nutrition. This talk will introduce the broad concept of how circadian and diurnal rhythms can be either aligned or misaligned in this regard and consider how lifestyle patterns can therefore be linked to human health. After briefly considering recent studies that have characterised 24-h rhythmicity in human skeletal muscle during semi-constant routine protocols, we will then work systematically through a complete 24-h cycle, beginning with an examination of how the metabolic responses to an initial breakfast meal can exert carry-over effects to subsequent meals when using serial meal tests. We will then move through to the post-lunch period and consider the metabolic and behavioural effects of transitioning between the fed- and fasted-state at 1500 daily, within the context of an alternate-day model of intermittent fasting.  Moving through to the evening, we will contrast overnight metabolic responses between individuals who have been fed continuously versusindividuals who received bolus feedings at 0800 and 2000 h, before looking into the effects of nocturnal feeding (both throughout the night via enteral feeding during sleep and models involving waking up briefly in the early hours for a snack). Finally, we will complete the daily cycle by considering the metabolic responses to breakfast the morning after a night of fragmented sleep – and whether a strong coffee is a sensible remedy in that context.