Optimal Exercise Scheduling and Continuity Impact Heart and Lung Fitness Levels
In recent years, researchers have gained a better understanding of the role the body's circadian rhythm plays in overall health. Various studies indicate that disruptions to the natural sleep-wake cycle can negatively impact cognitive function and potentially increase the risk of several health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, and certain cancers.
In addition to regulating sleep, the circadian rhythm also determines the periods when people engage in daily activities, such as exercise. Past research has shown that the circadian rhythm can affect exercise performance and recovery time, with disruptions in sleep-wake cycles potentially causing issues with temperature regulation and hormonal fluctuations that may impact physical activity.
A new study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise offers further insights into how exercise timing may impact cardiovascular and lung health as people age. For this study, researchers recruited around 800 older adults, aged 76 on average, and monitored their physical activities using wrist-worn accelerometers for seven days. The participants also underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing to evaluate their heart and lung health.
Karyn Esser, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Physiology and Aging in the College of Medicine at the University of Florida, and senior author of this study, explained that maintaining higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels, which indicates how well the heart, lungs, and muscles work together in response to exercise, is strongly associated with a longer lifespan and lower mortality risks.
The study found that participants who had the most activity during the active part of their day compared to their daily resting time and who reached their maximum daily activity earlier in the day were associated with better cardiorespiratory fitness and walking efficiency. Esser also noted that this finding held true even when factoring in the amount of daily activity, suggesting that completing physical activity earlier in the day could provide health benefits.
Moreover, the researchers observed that participants with greater consistency in their daily exercise patterns, with the highest activity occurring at the same time every day, showed improved health outcomes. This may indicate that maintaining a regular routine for physical activity is important for overall health as we age.
Esser concluded that this study demonstrates the importance of maintaining a program of consistent daily physical activity, taking into account the timing and consistency of the activity, for optimal health as we grow older. While people are generally living longer, they may not necessarily be living healthier. By finding ways to help people maintain or improve their health as they age, quality of life and the impact of age-related chronic diseases can be improved.
Esser's team is continuing to conduct clinical studies on circadian, or time-of-day, activity behavior, exploring its effects on sleep, pain, cognition, and mental health. Preclinical studies are also underway to determine more mechanistically how the timing of activity impacts health with aging.
The findings of this study suggest that optimizing the timing and consistency of daily physical activity may offer benefits beyond just the exercise itself. More research will be needed to determine whether intentionally altering the rhythm of daily physical activity can lead to better health outcomes, but the potential for tailored exercise recommendations in the future is promising for maintaining cardiovascular and lung health as people age.
- As people age, maintaining a consistent routine for physical activity could potentially improve their overall health, according to a new study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise.
- The study, which involved around 800 seniors with an average age of 76, found that those who had the most activity during their active period of the day, as opposed to resting, had better cardiorespiratory fitness and walking efficiency.
- Moreover, participants who exhibited greater consistency in their daily exercise patterns, with the highest activity occurring at the same time every day, showed improved health outcomes.
- Karyn Esser, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Physiology and Aging at the University of Florida, and senior author of the study, emphasized the importance of maintaining higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels for a longer lifespan and lower mortality risks.
- Esser's team is currently conducting further research on the effects of circadian, or time-of-day, activity behavior on sleep, pain, cognition, and mental health.
- Preclinical studies are also underway to determine more mechanistically how the timing of activity impacts health with aging, suggesting that optimizing the timing and consistency of daily physical activity might offer benefits beyond just the exercise itself.
