Subjective Hunger, Gastric Upset, and Sleepiness in Response to Altered Meal Timing during Simulated Shiftwork
Charlotte C Gupta,
Stephanie Centofanti,
Jillian Dorrian,
Alison M Coates,
Jacqueline M Stepien,
David Kennaway,
Gary Wittert,
Leonie Heilbronn,
Peter Catcheside,
Manny Noakes,
Daniel Coro,
Dilushi Chandrakumar,
Siobhan Banks
Affiliations
Charlotte C Gupta
Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre, School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, 5072 Adelaide, Australia
Stephanie Centofanti
Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre, School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, 5072 Adelaide, Australia
Jillian Dorrian
Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre, School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, 5072 Adelaide, Australia
Alison M Coates
Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre, School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, 5072 Adelaide, Australia
Jacqueline M Stepien
Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre, School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, 5072 Adelaide, Australia
David Kennaway
Robinson Research Institute and Adelaide School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, 5000 Adelaide, Australia
Gary Wittert
Discipline of Medicine, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, 5000Adelaide, Australia
Leonie Heilbronn
Discipline of Medicine, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, 5000Adelaide, Australia
Peter Catcheside
Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, 5042 Adelaide, Australia
Manny Noakes
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation – Food and Nutrition Flagship, 5000 Adelaide, Australia
Daniel Coro
Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre, School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, 5072 Adelaide, Australia
Dilushi Chandrakumar
Cognitive Ageing Impairment Neurosciences Laboratory, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre, School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, 5072 Adelaide, Australia
Siobhan Banks
Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre, School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, 5072 Adelaide, Australia
Shiftworkers report eating during the night when the body is primed to sleep. This study investigated the impact of altering food timing on subjective responses. Healthy participants (n = 44, 26 male, age Mean ± SD = 25.0 ± 2.9 years, BMI = 23.82 ± 2.59kg/m2) participated in a 7-day simulated shiftwork protocol. Participants were randomly allocated to one of three eating conditions. At 00:30, participants consumed a meal comprising 30% of 24 h energy intake (Meal condition; n = 14, 8 males), a snack comprising 10% of 24 h energy intake (Snack condition; n = 14; 8 males) or did not eat during the night (No Eating condition; n = 16, 10 males). Total 24 h individual energy intake and macronutrient content was constant across conditions. During the night, participants reported hunger, gut reaction, and sleepiness levels at 21:00, 23:30, 2:30, and 5:00. Mixed model analyses revealed that the snack condition reported significantly more hunger than the meal group (p < 0.001) with the no eating at night group reporting the greatest hunger (p < 0.001). There was no difference in desire to eat between meal and snack groups. Participants reported less sleepiness after the snack compared to after the meal (p < 0.001) or when not eating during the night (p < 0.001). Gastric upset did not differ between conditions. A snack during the nightshift could alleviate hunger during the nightshift without causing fullness or increased sleepiness.
