Scientists from Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in the USA found that people with a healthy weight tend to burn more energy during the day, while obese people burn more energy at night. results published In the journal Obesity.
30 people with and without obesity participated in the experiment. They had to spend six days in a specially equipped circadian research laboratory. The study followed a strict circadian protocol, including a schedule designed to keep participants awake and asleep at different times each day.
Volunteers were woken up at the end of the allotted rest period and allowed to eat, have blood tests and participate in various tests. These included training in a special mask connected to a device called an indirect calorimeter.
Indirect calorimetry methods are based on the assessment of basal metabolism by recording pulmonary ventilation indicators. Based on the amount of inhaled oxygen and exhaled carbon dioxide, the basal metabolic rate – the minimum amount of energy required to maintain the life of the body in a state of complete rest – can be evaluated.
Test results showed that people at a healthy weight burned more calories during the day. It was also found that insulin hormone levels in obese people increased throughout the day. This indicates that the body is trying to absorb as much glucose as possible, which is the energy-rich sugar from food. Obese participants also showed higher energy expenditure throughout the night.
The mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain to be investigated. Scientists are also unsure whether expending less energy during the day is an indirect cause or consequence of obesity.
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