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Research indicates that establishing consistent daily routines of exercise and rest can synchronize the local body clocks governing joints and the spine with the brain’s clock. This synchronization potentially aids in maintaining skeletal health, enhancing athletic performance, and reducing the risk of injury.
While the study, documented in Nature Communications, was conducted on mice, scientists propose a strong likelihood that human cartilage and intervertebral disks, which share similar physiological traits, would respond similarly.
It’s been long understood by scientists that misalignment between the central body clock in the brain and other organ-specific clocks can elevate the risk of diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular issues. However, until now, little was known about how the clocks in joint cartilage, devoid of nerve or blood supply, relate to the brain.
Professor Qing-Jun Meng, an expert in body clocks from the university, highlighted this discovery as a new mechanism shedding light on how our body clocks synchronize with the external environment. He mentioned, “The clocks have evolved to prepare you for predictable rhythmic changes in the environment.”
Meng emphasized that morning physical activities, tied to the sleep-wake cycle, transmit timing cues from the light-sensitive central brain clock to the weight-bearing skeletal tissues. This signaling effectively prompts the skeletal system to ‘wake up’.
However, when this alignment with the brain’s clock is disrupted, it can have adverse effects on physical health, similar to other organs and tissues.
The team noted that constantly changing exercise times could exacerbate this desynchronization, but maintaining a consistent exercise regimen eventually helps realign the body clocks.
The researchers conducted experiments on mice exercising on a treadmill during their rest period to observe the impact on the clocks in cartilage, intervertebral disks, and the brain. They validated their findings by subjecting mouse intervertebral disks or cartilage samples to specific conditions in a lab setting, resulting in a similar synchronization effect on the clocks.
Their work also highlighted that the body clocks in skeletal tissues of older animals remain responsive to daily exercise patterns. Consequently, organizing regular walking groups for older individuals at a consistent time each day could be particularly beneficial for their health.
