The Explosion of New Research on the Interplay Between Exercise and Circadian Rhythms
March 25, 2024 | Source: National Public Radio | by Will Stone
Scientists are uncovering the far-reaching influence of physical activity on our circadian rhythms. They believe the emerging findings have implications both for health and athletic performance.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
When you work out impacts how you sleep, as NPR’s Will Stone reports.
WILL STONE, BYLINE: Don’t worry, science is not coming after your favorite workout time – at least, not yet – because so far, there’s no real consensus about the best time to work out. Katja Lamia, a circadian biologist at Scripps Research, says there’s one thing that’s absolutely clear.
KATJA LAMIA: Truly, I think the best time to exercise is whenever you’re actually going to do it.
STONE: When to work out is actually not at all a straightforward question. Who’s exercising? What are you doing?
LAMIA: Definitely depends on what your goals are.
STONE: There is consistent evidence that athletic performance, including strength, peaks in the afternoon. This is when world records tend to be broken. But Raphael Knaier says the existing research is still limited and mostly focuses on young men, so it’s hard to generalize. Knaier is an exercise physiologist at the University of Basel.