Effects of exercise and dietary interventions on serum metabolites in men with insomnia symptoms: A 6-month randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Accumulating evidence show that exercise and diet interventions are associated with improved sleep quality. Studies investigating the effects of exercise and dieting on circulating metabolomics in people with sleep disorders, particularly insomnia, are scarce. This 6-month randomized study aimed to assess the effects of exercise and dietary interventions on serum metabolites in men with insomnia symptoms. Seventy-two Finnish men (age: 51.6 ± 10.1 years) with chronic insomnia symptoms who were assigned to different intervention groups completed this study (exercise, n = 24; diet, n = 27; and control, n = 21). The Shapiro-Wilk W-test, Levene test, Spearman correlation analysis, and analysis of variance were used for data analysis. We found that exercise and diet intervention were associated with improved sleep quality and with a number of metabolites across different biochemical pathways. Although we could not show causality, our findings provide new insight into the biological mechanisms underlying the health effects of physical activity, diet, and sleep quality. Further investigation is needed to better understand the link among lifestyle, sleep quality, and metabolic health.

Keywords

Diet / Exercise / Insomnia / Metabolomics

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The authors are grateful to Shumei Cheng, Tuija M. Mikkola, Samu Martinmäki, Jarkko Tenhunen, Satu Pekkala, EveliinaMunukka, and Aki Rahikainen, for their contributions to the data collection or exercise intervention and diet intervention.

Funding

This study was supported financially by the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation(TEKES2206/31/2010); 111 Project (B17029) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Zhiyuan Foundation(grant CP2014013); China Postdoc Scholarship Council(201806230001)