Journal
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-REGULATORY INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
Volume 284, Issue 6, Pages R1542-R1550Publisher
AMER PHYSIOLOGICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00761.2002
Keywords
aging; plasma melatonin; phase shifts; circadian phase angle
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Funding
- NCRR NIH HHS [RR-00048] Funding Source: Medline
- NIA NIH HHS [I P01 AG-11412-03] Funding Source: Medline
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Exercise can phase shift the circadian rhythms of young adults if performed at the right time of day. Similar research has not been done in older adults. This study examined the circadian phase-delaying effects of a single 3-h bout of low-intensity nocturnal exercise in older (n = 8; 55-73 yr old) vs. young (n = 8; 20-32 yr old) adults. The exercise occurred at the beginning of each subject's habitual sleep time, and subjects sat in a chair in dim light during the corresponding time in the control condition. The dim-light melatonin onset ( DLMO) was used as the circadian phase marker. The DLMO phase delayed more after the exercise than after the control condition. On average, the difference in phase shift between the exercise and control conditions was similar for older and young subjects, demonstrating that the phase-shifting effects of exercise on the circadian system are preserved in older adults. Therefore, exercise may potentially be a useful treatment to help adjust circadian rhythms in older and young adults.
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