Are you a night owl or an early bird? Our daily routines of movement and sleep could affect our risk of developing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
According to new research published in Experimental Physiology, wake/sleep cycles result in metabolic variations and modify the body’s energy source preference.
Researchers discovered that those who stay up later had a lower ability to utilise fat for energy, implying that lipids may accumulate in the body and raise the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
The metabolic differences pertain to each group’s ability to utilise insulin to enhance glucose uptake by cells for storage and energy consumption.
Early birds, or people who prefer to be active in the morning, rely more on fat as a fuel source and are more active during the day with higher levels of cardiovascular fitness than “night owls.”
On the other side, those who prefer to be active later in the day and at night are known as “night owls” and they consume less fat for energy both while resting and when exercising.
Researchers from Rutgers University in New Jersey, United States categorised participants (n=51) into two groups (early and late) based on their ‘chronotype’ – our inherent tendency to seek activity and sleep at various times.
They measured insulin sensitivity, breath samples to quantify fat and carbohydrate metabolism, and sophisticated imaging to determine body mass and body composition.
Participants were observed for a week to determine their daily activity routines. To limit the effects of diet on the outcomes, they had to fast overnight while eating a diet with restricted calories and nutrition.
They underwent a test to determine their preferred fuel before engaging in two 15-minute sessions of activity on a treadmill, one of moderate intensity and the other of high intensity.
The participant’s aerobic fitness was evaluated using an uphill challenge in which the incline was increased by 2.5% every two minutes until he or she reached exhaustion.
Researchers discovered that early risers burn more fat for energy during activity and at rest than night owls. Additionally, early birds were more insulin sensitive.
On the other hand, night owls are insulin resistant, which means that their bodies need more insulin to lower their blood glucose levels, and their bodies prefer carbohydrates over fats as a source of energy.
This group’s inability to use insulin as a signal to use fuel can be bad because it means they are more likely to get type 2 diabetes or heart disease.
The reason why early birds and night owls have different metabolic preferences is still unknown and needs more research.
Professor Steven Malin, a senior author from Rutgers University in New Jersey, said:
“The differences in fat metabolism between ‘early birds’ and ‘night owls’ shows that our body’s circadian rhythm (wake/sleep cycle) could affect how our bodies use insulin,” says Professor Steven Malin, a senior author from Rutgers University in New Jersey
Our health is greatly impacted by how sensitive or poorly we react to the insulin hormone. Our knowledge of how our body’s circadian rhythms affect our health has been advanced by this observation.
“Because chronotype appears to impact our metabolism and hormone action,” add the professor, “we suggest that chronotype could be used as a factor to predict an individual’s disease risk.”
In addition, they discovered that early risers are healthier and more fit than their sedentary night-time counterparts.
“Further research is needed to examine the link between chronotype, exercise and metabolic adaptation to identify whether exercising earlier in the day has greater health benefits,” they write.
Source: 10.1113/EP090613
Image Credit: Getty
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