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Recommendation

Benefits of Exercise

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Untitled

The main idea of the graph is that Exercise (first red box) affects a variety of things (second red box), such as melatonin(shown in red). The graph then shows that because exercise affects melatonin levels, which are connected with the sleep/wake cycle(last red box), exercise affects sleep patterns.

Citation:

Escames, G., Ozturk, G., Baño-Otálora, B., Pozo, M. J., Madrid, J. A., Reiter, R. J., & … Acuña-Castroviejo, D. (2012). Exercise and melatonin in humans: reciprocal benefits. Journal Of Pineal Research, 52(1), 1-11. doi:10.1111/j.1600-079X.2011.00924.x

 

Goal:

The goal of the study was to show how exercise might affect melatonin rhythms and that increased physical exercise can actually improve many everyday activities and keep circadian rhythms in sync.

 

Hypothesis:

Exercise can affect melatonin levels in a way that can increase physical performance by keeping circadian rhythms in the body leveled.

 

Measured:

The role of melatonin was measured and the effect of physical exercise on the circadian rhythms was measured.

 

Figure:

This figure shows the effect that melatonin and exercise has on the circadian system. This figure shows circadian clocks, inputs, and outputs, which are three of the major components of the hypothalamus. This figure supports the hypothesis because the figure clearly demonstrates how exercise can effect melatonin which then can effect the circadian rhythms.

 

Findings:

The researchers concluded that according to the data it is clear that exercise and melatonin have a large effect of circadian rhythms.

 

Question:

How does the intensity of the exercise correspond to melatonin levels?

Facts

How does stress affect sleep cycles?

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stress

In the red box you can see that the graphs look just about the same. One graph measured rhythms without stress and the other graph measured rhythms with stress. Because they are the same, the graphs show that stress does not affect the pituitary gland or sleep/wake cycles significantly. Proving the hypothesis incorrect.

Citation:

Razzoli, M.(2014). Chronic subordination stress phase advances adrenal and anterior pituitary clock gene rhythms. American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology,307(2), R198-R205. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00101.2014

 

Goal:

The goal of the study was to show that stress unregulates the Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This would show that the adrenal clock could be altered by stress.

 

Hypothesis:

The hypothesis of the study is that stress has a distinct impact on HPA axis regulation and other internal processes and effects pituitary clock rhythms. The gene rhythms were measured by assessing energy balances with body weight and food intake.

–       The effect of chronic subordination stress was compared to locomotor activity. There was an increase in activity in the dark period and less activity in the light period in the CCS and control models. This trend rejects the hypothesis because CCS did not alter the activity in mice meaning that stress does not effect rythmic locomotor activity.

 

Findings:

The major findings were that stress triggered a phase shift in a clock gene rhythm. This lead to the idea that there is a link between desynchronized clocks and stress levels.

 

Question:

I would like to ask the author how much would stress affect a high school student’s performance on a test.