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Our bodies naturally follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, called our circadian rhythm. And every cell has a rhythm.

As we get older, we tend to lose muscle, making us more prone to falls and less able to live independently. Though we can't stop aging, staying active helps keep our muscles strong and our bodies healthy for longer.

Prof. Karyn Esser is a specialist in how the body's natural rhythms affect muscles. Today, she guides us through the latest research and shows that it's always possible to harness the power of your muscles to enhance your quality of life. She is a professor in the Department of Physiology and Aging at the University of Florida, where she’s also the co-director of the University of Florida Older Americans Independence Center.

In today's episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Karyn explore the body's internal clocks and ask: why do our muscles have their own schedule, and is there an ideal time of day to exercise?

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Timecodes:
00:00 Introduction
01:24 Quickfire questions
03:30 Why are muscles important, particularly as we get older?
09:58 We all lose strength as we age
12:19 What types of exercise do we need to do to maintain muscle strength as we get older?
16:10 What is a circadian clock?
20:40 Everything has a circadian rhythm
22:42 Why do our muscles work on a 24-hour cycle?
25:36 Humans are stronger in the afternoon
32:52 Is there a best time to exercise?
37:36 Can exercise before or after work help shift workers with jet lag?
40:03 Is there a difference between men and women’s responses to circadian rhythms?
44:12 What are the effects of time-restricted eating on muscle mass?
56:10 Summary

Studies mentioned in today's episode:
Defining the age-dependent and tissue-specific circadian transcriptome in male Mice, published in 50 Cell Reports. Link: https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/ful...

Other related studies:
Timing is everything: Circadian clocks set the rhythm for vital functions in bacteria, published by University of Chicago. Link: https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/fore...

Effects of resveratrol on in vitro circadian clock gene expression in young and older human adipose-derived progenitor cells, published in Aging-US. Link: https://www.aging-us.com/article/2052...

Age is Associated with Dampened Circadian Patterns of Rest and Activity: The Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging (SOMMA), published in MedRxiv. Link: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.11...

Episode transcripts are available here: https://zoe.com/learn/category/podcasts