Interactions between circadian clocks and exercise physiology

Circadian clocks are fundamental regulators of daily physiology and metabolism in mammals. In recent years, interest in exercise biology, particularly its interaction with the circadian clock, has grown significantly.

We discovered that exercise capacity is regulated by the circadian clock in a time-of-day–dependent manner, a phenomenon accompanied by distinct muscle transcriptomic and metabolic signatures. Notably, we identified ZMP, an AMPK activator, as a metabolite induced by exercise in a time-dependent fashion.

Our lab continues to investigate the intersection of circadian rhythms and exercise physiology, aiming to uncover new molecular insights (Ezagouri et al., Cell Metabolism, 2019; Adamovich et al., PNAS, 2021). We are also developing novel methodologies to assess daily fluctuations in exercise capacity (Adamovich et al., STAR Protocols, 2021).