Effects of Exercise Timing on Sleep Quality

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Aerobic Exercise: The exercise consists of running on a treadmill at 90% of maximum aerobic speed (MAS) for 30 minutes, followed by 12% increments every 5 minutes, until exhaustion (a "time-to-exhaustion" type of exercise).

Study summary

Modern lifestyles are marked by a prevalence of sedentary behaviors and physical inactivity, which have been linked to numerous adverse health effects. While regular physical exercise is a well-established countermeasure, exercising in the late afternoon may paradoxically disrupt deep sleep due to increased core body temperature. Inactive and sedentary individuals, who often have impaired autonomic function compared to endurance-trained athletes, may be particularly susceptible to these negative effects, potentially resulting in compromised thermoregulation and exacerbated disruptions to deep sleep, a critical stage of sleep essential for overall recovery. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of aerobic exercise performed in the late afternoon versus morning on: 1) deep sleep and sleep onset latency; and 2) core body temperature and its autonomic regulatory mechanisms on endurance-trained and inactive-sedentary people.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Duration of deep slow-wave sleep — Once a month for 3 months
  Evaluation of the duration of deep slow-wave sleep (N3 stage) quantified by the EEG signal from polysomnography (Nox A1, Resmed®, USA).

Trial sites (1)

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