No effects of different modalities of a single bout of exercise on sleep architecture and appetite in healthy overweight or obese young adults

Background: Studies on the effect of acute exercise on sleep quality and quantity reported contradictory results and the bulk of these studies were conducted in lean individuals. Furthermore, not many studies have assessed subsequent changes in appetite following an acute bout of exercise. Therefore, the exact effect of aerobic acute exercise on sleep parameters in overweight/obese young adults remains unclear. As such, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a single bout of aerobic exercise on sleep architecture in healthy, over-weight/obese, young adults. Methods: Eighteen participants (50% female; mean age 21 +/- 1 year) with no self-reported sleep disorders or chronic health conditions took part in this study. The Balke-Ware procedure (treadmill-graded test) was used to determine exhaustion peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak). The intervention consisted of three conditions (no exercise, moderate, and intensive). Heart rates corresponding to 50% and 75% VO2peak were used to establish work rates for moderate and intense exercise conditions, respectively. Following each intervention, sleep pa-rameters were measured throughout the night using polysomnography. Additionally, participants completed appetite visual analogue scales before each meal, on the day of the exercise, and the following day. Results: Univariable analyses did not yield significant results between the independent variables (condition, order, and sex) and sleep parameters; however, the intense condition (normalised to the moderate condition) had a positive relationship with the number of arousals during the subsequent night. No significant effects were noted for the multivariate analysis. Further, there was no global effect of order (p = 0.651), sex (p = 0.628), and appetite time (p = 0.400) and individual sleep characteristics did not have an effect on the Hunger and Fullness scales. However, the percentage of stage 2 had a positive effect on the Quantity scale, and the amount and percentage of time spent in REM had a negative effect on the Quantity scale, but multivariable analyses were not significant. Conclusion: Acute aerobic exercise (intense or moderate) does not have beneficial or adverse effects on sleep quality and quantity in young adults with overweight/obesity. Subjective appetite may have a relationship with REM and stage 2 sleep independent of exercise.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the effects of intense or moderate aerobic exercise on sleep quality and quantity in overweight/obese young adults. The results showed that intense or moderate aerobic exercise does not have significant beneficial or adverse effects on sleep quality and quantity in young adults with overweight/obesity. Subjective appetite may have a relationship with REM and stage 2 sleep independent of exercise.