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Review
. 2023 Oct 11:14:1282357.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1282357. eCollection 2023.

Effects of exercise on circadian rhythms in humans

Bingyi Shen  1 , Changxiao Ma  1 , Guanlin Wu  2 , Haibin Liu  3 , Lihong Chen  4 , Guangrui Yang  2
Affiliations
Review

Effects of exercise on circadian rhythms in humans

Bingyi Shen et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

The biological clock system is an intrinsic timekeeping device that integrates internal physiology and external cues. Maintaining a healthy biological clock system is crucial for life. Disruptions to the body's internal clock can lead to disturbances in the sleep-wake cycle and abnormalities in hormone regulation, blood pressure, heart rate, and other vital processes. Long-term disturbances have been linked to the development of various common major diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, tumors, neuropsychiatric conditions, and so on. External factors, such as the diurnal rhythm of light, have a significant impact on the body's internal clock. Additionally, as an important non-photic zeitgeber, exercise can regulate the body's internal rhythms to a certain extent, making it possible to become a non-drug intervention for preventing and treating circadian rhythm disorders. This comprehensive review encompasses behavioral, physiological, and molecular perspectives to provide a deeper understanding of how exercise influences circadian rhythms and its association with related diseases.

Keywords: biological clock; circadian rhythm; exercise; health; non-photic zeitgeber.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The mammalian clock system. The central clock is situated within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), where it governs peripheral clocks throughout the body (center). Light serves as the primary zeitgeber, while non-photic cues also have the capacity to synchronize circadian rhythms (left). At the molecular level (right), a set of core clock genes and proteins collaboratively form highly conserved transcriptional-translational feedback loops (TTFL).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The entrainment of circadian rhythms by light and exercise. The central clock oscillator, which regulates rhythms of melatonin and body temperature, is located within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), while oscillators governing the sleep-wake cycle may exist in brain regions beyond the SCN (Yamanaka and Waterhouse, 2016; Yamanaka, 2020). Two potential pathways for entraining the central circadian rhythm through exercise are depicted: 1, exercise entrains the central clock directly; 2, exercise entrains oscillators in extra-SCN brain regions, which then transmit signals to the SCN. It is important to note that light serves as the most significant zeitgeber. The regulation of circadian rhythms by exercise can be influenced by the intensity of light, as exercise can impact the function of light perception or the entrainment process related to light.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Melatonin rhythm and the phase changes after exercise. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland. The onset of melatonin typically occurs 2–3 h before sleep onset and peaks in the middle of the night. Exercise at night usually delays the melatonin phase. However, the effect of daytime exercise on the melatonin rhythm is controversial.
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Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the grants from National Key Research and Development Program of China (#2019YFA0802400) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32171165).

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