People who are ‘night owls’ face greater risk of diabetes: Study

Are you an early bird or a night owl? Our sleep cycles could influence our risk of diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, said a new study published in Experimental Physiology.

As sleep cycles cause metabolic differences and alter our body’s preference for energy sources, those who stay up later have a reduced ability to use fat for energy, meaning fats may build-up in the body and increase risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, said the study

The metabolic differences relate to how well each group can use insulin to promote glucose uptake by the cells for storage and energy use. People who are ‘early birds’ or individuals who prefer to be active in the morning rely more on fat as an energy source and are more active during the day with higher levels of aerobic fitness than ‘night owls’.

On the other hand, ‘night owls’ who prefer to be active later in the day and night use less fat for energy at rest and during exercise, found the study

Researchers from Rutgers University, New Jersey classified participants (n=51) into two groups (early and late) based on their ‘chronotype’ – our natural propensity to seek activity and sleep at different times. They used advanced imaging to monitor body vitals as well as insulin sensitivity and breath samples to measure fat and carbohydrate metabolism.

After monitoring them for a week, they were tested while at rest before completing two 15-minute bouts of exercise: one moderate and one high intensity session on a treadmill. Aerobic fitness levels were tested through an incline challenge where the incline was raised 2.5% every two minutes until the participant reached a point of exhaustion.

Researchers found that early birds use more fat for energy at both rest and during exercise than night owls. Early birds were also more insulin sensitive. Night owls, on the other hand, are insulin resistant, meaning their bodies require more insulin to lower blood glucose levels, and their bodies favoured carbohydrates as an energy source over fats.

This group’s impaired ability to respond to insulin to promote fuel use can be harmful as it indicates a greater risk of type 2 diabetes and/or heart disease. The cause for this shift in metabolic preference between early birds and night owls is yet unknown and needs further investigation.

Senior author Professor Steven Malin of Rutgers University said: “A sensitive or impaired ability to respond to the insulin hormone has major implications for our health. This observation advances our understanding of how our body’s circadian rhythms impact our health. ”

The study also found that early birds are more physically active and have higher fitness levels than night owls.