WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Exercising at a time that matches your body clock may help lower the risk of heart disease, especially in people who are already at risk, according to a recent study published in the open-access journal Open Heart.
Researchers studied 150 people aged 40 to 60. They identified whether each person was more active in the morning or evening using a questionnaire and body temperature checks. All participants had at least one heart disease risk factor, such as being overweight, having high blood pressure, or not exercising regularly. Some also had a family history of early heart disease.
Participants were divided into two groups. One group exercised at a time that matched their natural body clock, while the other group exercised at a different time. They worked out five times a week for 12 weeks, doing 40 minutes of moderate exercise like brisk walking.
After 12 weeks, both groups showed improvements in fitness, sleep, and heart health. But those who exercised at the time that suited their body clock saw bigger benefits. For example, their blood pressure dropped more, their fitness improved more, and they slept better. The drop in blood pressure was especially large in people who already had high blood pressure. Overall, morning people saw slightly greater benefits than night owls.
'Aligning exercise with chronotype may entrain peripheral clocks in skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and vasculature more effectively, enhancing metabolic efficiency and reducing inflammation, both critical factors in cardiometabolic health,' the researchers explained.
However, the researchers noted some limitations to the study, such as a small group of participants from one location and not including people who fall in between morning and evening types.
'Integrating the principle of 'chrono-exercise,' scheduling workouts according to an individual's internal biological clock, may offer a novel and impactful approach to enhancing outcomes in preventive cardiovascular and metabolic health,' the authors concluded.
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