My project aims to clarify how timed exercise impact on the metabolic system, and possibly develop the prevention and treatment for circadian disruption-triggered metabolic diseases; obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Currently we know that disturbance of the circadian clock triggered by shift work conditions are known to contribute to infertility, carcinogenesis and metabolic disorders. In the past years, a number of studies with rodents have reported on positive effects of forced exercise at specific times of day. Both circadian rhythms and metabolic effects were improved. However, the study of de Goede from our team strongly suggested that forced exercise protocols cause enormous activity of the stress system in the body. Therefore, our aim is to investigate the importance of timed exercises for the metabolic system without stress artifacts.

Ultimately we want to develop prevention methods and treatments for metabolic disorders caused by disturbances of the biological clock.

Read Ayano’s personal introduction here.

Year ONE (September ’22): the first year of Ayano’s project has passed. She wrote an update on what she has done so far.