A new study finds that eating at night can significantly boost daytime running endurance.
Meal timing is considered an important factor affecting our health. Scientific research shows that not only what we eat, but also when we eat can significantly affect our overall health.
Several studies have shown that adjusting the timing of your meals can be an effective dietary approach to address a variety of health issues, including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, contrary to traditional advice to eat during active hours, a new study points to many positive health effects of nighttime eating.
Eating during active hours is generally considered healthy, while eating during the night is considered unhealthy.Contrary to this perception, the latest research published in natural metabolismshowed that restricting food intake during the active period (when individuals are most active and alert) can lead to health benefits, such as reduced body weight and improved blood sugar control in mice.
Understanding the body’s internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm, is critical when studying the effects of meal timing on health.
During the study, the researchers focused on time-restricted eating, limiting daily food intake to specific time windows, much like intermittent fasting. The team, led by Dr. Mindian Li, professor of internal medicine and cell biology and director of the Center for Circadian Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases at the Chinese Army Military Medical University, aimed to explore how timing of eating affects exercise performance. Specifically, the researchers studied the effects of daytime food restriction in mice.
They found that restricting the mice’s food intake at specific times during the day had a surprising effect. It actually improved the mice’s ability to run for long periods of time. This goes against the notion that eating during breaks is bad for your health. However, more research is needed to understand whether these findings apply to humans and how meal timing affects our muscles and athletic performance.
Dr. Li described his team’s findings as “absolutely surprising and exciting” and said restricting mouse feeding is “generally considered to be detrimental to metabolic health”. He reportedly expects treadmill test ‘to be short’ Medical News Today.
However, even after several hours, “mice did not show any signs of fatigue on the treadmill,” and “sex, time of day, duration (of daytime food restriction) and exercise training were repeated in different groups.” After the state, the results associated with daytime food restriction remained robust and reproducible,” noted the lead investigator.
The researchers concluded that changes in running endurance were due to fast-twitch oxidative muscle fibers. Their proportions have increased due to dietary patterns. This involves the regulation of genes such as Bmal1 and Plin5, which together enhance lipid metabolism and help muscles use fat for energy more efficiently during exercise.
Published by Medicaldaily.com