A team of researchers from the University of Manchester has made a significant discovery that could impact how we approach skeletal health and exercise.
Their study, which involved mice but likely applies to humans, suggests that maintaining consistent daily exercise and rest routines can synchronize the body’s internal clocks, including those in joints and the spine, with the central brain clock.
This synchronization could potentially aid in maintaining skeletal health, enhancing athletic performance, and preventing injuries.
Understanding Circadian Rhythms in Skeletal Health
Body Clocks and Health: The study highlights the relationship between the central body clock in the brain and local body clocks in joint cartilage, which lack nerve or blood supply.
Misalignment between these clocks can increase the risk of diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Impact on Joints and Cartilage: Professor Qing-Jun Meng, a body clock expert, emphasizes that misaligned cartilage and intervertebral disk clocks with our central brain clock can occur due to inappropriate exercise timing.
Their study found that skeletal clocks could resynchronize to daily physical activity patterns.
Historical Context and Modern Implications
A 300-Year-Old Observation: The study brings context to an observation made 300 years ago about the human body being taller in the morning than at night.
The researchers explain that this height change is due to water being pressed out of the spine and cartilage during the day and refilled at night.
Exercise Timing and Health: The findings suggest that exercising at consistent times daily, aligned with the sleep/wake cycle, informs the skeletal system it’s time to “wake up.” Regular exercise timing may help align the body’s internal clocks, optimizing skeletal health.
Practical Applications and Future Directions
Implications for Athletes and Older Adults: Frequently changing exercise times could lead to desynchronization and potential health impacts. However, maintaining a consistent exercise routine can lead to adaptation and realignment of body clocks. This finding is particularly relevant for athletes who often travel across time zones and for organizing walking groups for older adults.
Potential to Slow Arthritis Progression: Lucy Donaldson, from Versus Arthritis, notes that this research could lead to more targeted treatments for musculoskeletal conditions like arthritis, using exercise and physical activity.
Conclusion
This groundbreaking research offers a new perspective on the importance of regular exercise and its timing in maintaining joint and skeletal health.
By understanding and leveraging our body’s circadian rhythms, we can potentially improve our overall physical well-being, prevent injuries, and enhance athletic performance.
As we continue to explore the intricate connections between our body’s internal clocks and physical activity, we open doors to innovative approaches for managing and improving skeletal health.
If you care about arthritis, please read studies about extra virgin olive oil for arthritis, and pomegranate: A natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
For more information about arthritis, please see recent studies about how to live pain-free with arthritis, and results showing medical cannabis may help reduce arthritis pain, back pain.
The research findings can be found in Nature Communications.
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