Exercise mitigates sleep-loss-induced changes in glucose tolerance, mitochondrial function, sarcoplasmic protein synthesis, and circadian rhythms

Abstract Sleep loss has emerged as a risk factor for the development of impaired glucose tolerance. The mechanisms underpinning this observation are unknown; however, both mitochondrial dysfunction and circadian misalignment have been proposed. Given that exercise improves glucose tolerance, mitochondrial function, and alters circadian rhythms, we investigated whether exercise may counteract the effects induced by inadequate sleep. We report that sleeping 4 hours per night, for five nights, reduced glucose tolerance, with novel observations of associated reductions in mitochondrial function, sarcoplasmic protein synthesis, and measures of circadian rhythmicity; however, incorporating three sessions of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) during this period mitigates these effects. These data demonstrate, for the first time, a sleep loss-induced concomitant reduction in a range of physiological processes linked to metabolic function. These same effects are not observed when exercise is performed during a period of inadequate sleep, supporting the use of HIIE as an intervention to mitigate the detrimental physiological effects of sleep loss.