Page 90 - Petelin, Ana. 2024. Ed. Zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | Health of the Working-Age and Older Adults. Zbornik prispevkov z recenzijo | Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press

04:00. Notably, participants who consumed a meal during the night shift ex-
perienced greater sleepiness compared to those who had a snack. The findings
suggest that opting for a snack during the night shift may be more beneficial
for post-shift driving performance than consuming larger meals. Furthermore,
the study demonstrated that consuming either one or three low-glycemic index
meals during the night shift did not negatively impact glucose regulation, un-
like fasting. Conversely, providing high-glycemic-index meals during the night
shift led to an anticipated increase in glucose levels. In summary, the results in-
dicate that choosing low-glycemic index meals, regardless of frequency, could
be a favorable option over fasting during night shifts, promoting better glucose
regulation.
The aim of the study by Garrido et al., (2021) was to examine the connec-
tion between circadian disruption, eating patterns, sleep behaviors, and dys-
lipidemia indicators in night shift workers. The study employed a randomized,
90 double-blind, crossover-controlled clinical trial and involved 36 overweight fe-
male nurses working fixed night shifts (12 x 36 hours). The average age of the
zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | health of working-age and older adults
participants was 39.4 years, and their average nighttime sleep duration was 5.76
hours.
The findings revealed a correlation between reduced nighttime sleep dura-
tion and increased levels of very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C)
by 2.75 mg/dL and triacylglycerides by 3.62 mg/dL. Conversely, each addition-
al hour of sleep was associated with a 3.06 mg/dL increase in high-density lipo-
protein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. In summary, insufficient nighttime sleep
and high social jet lag were identified as risk factors for dyslipidemia, while be-
ing a late chronotype and having a longer interval between the last meal and
sleep onset were deemed protective factors against dyslipidemia.
Chronic circadian disruption, such as occurs during rotating shift work,
and insufficient sleep are each independently associated with poor health out-
comes, including obesity and glucose intolerance. This is the thesis of authors
McHill et al., (2022), in a 32-day in-laboratory study, examined seventeen
healthy young adults to evenly distribute sleep, wakefulness, and energy in-
take throughout all phases of the circadian cycle. Our carefully controlled con-
ditions allowed us to measure subjective hunger, appetite, and food preference,
indicating that other factors may contribute to the negative health effects asso-
ciated with shift work. Table 1 contains comprehensive overviews of the studies
used, including their research objectives, methodologies, and results.