New research has shown that impaired metabolism at night is linked to diseases such as obesity and diabetes. In this regard, a team of researchers analyzed the metabolic indicators during sleep. The study authors were interested in how the...Metabolism changes while sleepingand whether any metabolic differences might exist in humans.
Risk factors for obesity and diabetes that can arise from metabolism at night
The basic method the research team used is based on a measurement called the respiratory quotient, abbreviated RQ. This measures how much oxygen people use and how much carbon dioxide they breathe out. If the amounts are equal (RQ equals 1) this signals that the energy sources are carbohydrates. If the ratio is lower, around 0.8, it suggests that the body is using fats or proteins as an energy source. To characterize metabolic changes over time, researchers measured the carbon dioxide/oxygen ratio of 127 people every five minutes over a 24-hour period. Since sleep is like a fast, it was expected that RQ would decrease throughout the night. This suggests that as sleep progressed, fat burning increased. Instead, they found that although these values decreased steadily at the beginning of sleep, after reaching a low point they continued to increase after midnight until the study participants woke up.
Next, the team separated subjects based on how much their values varied. High variability meant that metabolism is flexible at night. The RQ values rose and fell throughout the day depending on the body's needs. The results showed that although average levels over 24 hours were the same between groups, metabolism was less flexible at night. These findings suggest that participants burned more carbohydrates than fat and have potential for practical application. Preventing diseases like obesity and diabetes is vastly preferable to treating them. Furthermore, couldthis studyhelp identify people at risk of developing metabolic diseases, thereby enabling timely interventions.
