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Introduction
The field of circadian biology has long been associated with regulating diurnal physiological processes, notably the sleep-wake cycle. However, recent advances have unveiled a broader role for circadian clocks across various tissues, including skeletal muscle.
Within this context, the investigation of circadian clocks within the skeletal muscle milieu has emerged as a frontier of scientific inquiry. These intrinsic timekeeping mechanisms exhibit multifaceted regulatory capacities beyond mere temporal synchronization.
This episode delves into the implications of “circadian clocks” operating within skeletal muscle tissue, with the esteemed Prof. Karyn Esser as this week’s guest. Her pioneering work has been instrumental in understanding the interplay between circadian rhythmicity and muscular physiology.
Related resources
- Join the Sigma newsletter for free
- Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
- Become a member of Alan Flanagan’s Alinea Nutrition Education Hub
- Studies mentioned in this episode:
- Wolff & Esser, 2012 – Scheduled exercise phase shifts the circadian clock in skeletal muscle
- Kemler et al., 2020 – Time-of-day dependent effects of contractile activity on the phase of the skeletal muscle clock
- Savikj et al., 2019 – Afternoon exercise is more efficacious than morning exercise at improving blood glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes
- What is a “circadian clock”?
- The clock mechanism in skeletal muscle
- The role of physical activity/exercise as a time cue
- Circadian phase advance and delay with external cues
- Implications of these findings for time zone travel, chronic disease, and other applications in humans
Guest Information
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Prof. Esser was among the first researchers to recognize the importance of circadian rhythms to cell and muscle health.
Prof. Esser’s lab has pioneered research on the role of circadian rhythms and the molecular clock mechanism in skeletal muscle homeostasis and health.
Her work has shown that mutations of two different molecular clock genes, Clock and Bmal1, dramatically disrupt skeletal muscle structure and function.Esser’s lab is also pursuing the role of physical activity/exercise as a time cue for skeletal muscle and other tissues. And they have also shown that time of exercise can significantly alter the clock mechanism in skeletal muscle independent of lighting and the central clock in the brain.
Danny Lennon has a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork, and he is the founder of Sigma Nutrition.
Danny is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Sports Nutrition Association, the global regulatory body responsible for the standardisation of best practice in the sports nutrition profession.
Introduction to this Episode
The field of circadian biology has long been associated with regulating diurnal physiological processes, notably the sleep-wake cycle. However, recent advances have unveiled a broader role for circadian clocks across various tissues, including skeletal muscle. Within this context, the investigation of circadian clocks within the skeletal muscle milieu has emerged as a frontier of scientific inquiry. These intrinsic timekeeping mechanisms exhibit multifaceted regulatory capacities beyond mere temporal synchronization. This episode delves into the implications of “circadian clocks” operating within skeletal muscle tissue, with the esteemed Prof. Karyn Esser as this weekʼs guest. Her pioneering work has been instrumental in understanding the interplay between circadian rhythmicity and muscular physiology.
Connection to Previous Episodes
296: Circadian Entrainment, Chronotypes & Chrononutrition
- In this episode, Danny interviewed Alan about his area of research: chrononutrition.
- This is useful to listen back to as it explains some of the core concepts related to chronobiology and circadian rhythms.
- They discuss:
- Chronotypes: genetic vs. trained
- How feeding can entrain circadian clocks
- Circadian alignment vs. misalignment
- The inter-individual variation in response to light
- The evidence linking nutrition & circadian biology
- You can find that episode here.
