New research shows that people who stay up late they have a lower ability to burn fat for energy compared to their early riser peers. He also found that night owls may have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to early risers.
The investigation, published in the magazine Experimental Physiology, found that sleep/wake cycles have important connections to metabolism. Specifically, a person’s chronotype (if he is a The early bird or the night owl) is related to the way your body burns fat and carbohydrates.
The researchers found that early risers were more adept at burning fat for fuel during exercise and while at rest. Early risers were also more sensitive to insulin, meaning their body cells were better at using blood glucose, keeping blood sugar levels low.
For the study, 51 participants with metabolic syndrome (conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess fat around the waist, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides) answered survey questions to determine their chronotype and underwent various procedures to determine their body mass and composition, sensitivity to insulin and how carbohydrates and fats are metabolized. The participants ate controlled diets and were asked to fast overnight, regardless of when they woke up and went to sleep.
Those who reported staying up late were more likely to burn carbohydrates for fuel rather than fat, both when fasting at rest and during exercise. Night owls also needed more insulin to break down and use glucose in the bloodstream. These characteristics mean that night owls are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
“The differences in fat metabolism between ‘morning birds’ and ‘night owls’ show that our body’s circadian rhythm (wake/sleep cycle) could affect how our bodies use insulin. A sensitive or impaired ability to respond to the hormone insulin has important implications for our health”, says the author of the study. Steven Malin, Ph.D.explained in a statement.
“This observation advances our understanding of how our body’s circadian rhythms affect our health. Because chronotype appears to affect our metabolism and the action of hormones, we suggest that chronotype could be used as a factor in predicting an individual’s risk of disease.”
The research team also found that early risers were more physically active and fitter, especially earlier in the day, while those who stayed up late were more sedentary and less fit.
“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,” Malin said.
