Effects of the Internal Circadian System and Circadian Misalignment on Glucose Tolerance in Chronic Shift Workers

Effects of the Internal Circadian System and Circadian Misalignment on Glucose Tolerance in Chronic Shift Workers

Type: Crossover randomized controlled trial

Registration: PMCID: PMC4803172

Status: Published

Tags: Circadian, Diabetes, Lab, Meal timing, RCT, Shift workers

External URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4803172/

Summary

In chronic shift workers, post‑meal glucose tolerance was worse in the biological evening vs biological morning, and circadian misalignment independently reduced glucose tolerance.

Why It Matters For Night Shift Workers and Night Owls

A crossover RCT whether keeping most calories in a daytime window, with minimal overnight intake, found blood sugar for night‑shift workers and night owls. The signal puts timing—rather than only calories or macros—at the center of how bodies respond to working at night. For people who work nights, that frames an everyday choice (when you eat, how you light the end of a shift, how rest is split) as part of the mechanism, not just routine.

Tags

  • Circadian
  • Diabetes
  • Lab
  • Meal timing
  • RCT
  • Shift workers

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