Whether a nocturnal exercise with concomitant increase of body temperature (Tb) would intensify circadian phase delay compare to exercise with a suppressed Tb increase was examined. Seven healthy men (20.57 ± 2.88 yrs, 174.43 ± 4.05 cm, 70.13 ± 6.07 kg, 10.74 ± 1.92% fat) participated in two tests. Each lasted 5-days. On the day of 1 of each test, subjects maintained habitual sleep time (23:00-07:00, 0.2 lux) in laboratory. From day 2 thru 5, they biked for 60 min at 55% of maximal capacity beginning at 01:30 (15 lux). Then they went to bed at 04:00 and woke at 12:00. During test, they exercised either at 26℃ with elevating Tb (ET) or at 17℃ with cooling devices for suppressing Tb (ST). Two tests were counter balanced and separated by 2 weeks. During exercise, rectal (Tre) and skin (Tsk) temperatures, and heart rate were continuously recorded. Body weight changes during exercise were measured. Urine volume and saliva sample were collected. Blood samples were taken at 23:00, 03:30, 07:00, and 12:00 on day 1 and 5 of tests and analyzed for melatonin. The average weight loss for 4 days of exercise in ET and ST was 0.62 ± 0.09 and 0.22 ± 0.07 kg, respectively (p<.001). Tre increased during exercise but not different between conditions. Tsk maintained at 32℃ in ET and 24℃ in ST (p<.001). Tb were higher in ET than ST during exercise (p<.05). The average total urine volume passed was 0.07 ± 0.07 in ET and 0.11 ± 0.07 liter in ST (p<.05). The melatonin concentration at day 1 was 23 ± 26, 107 ± 45, 98 ± 46, and 14 ± 5 in ET and 18 ± 10, 108 ± 65, 103 ± 75, and 14 ± 12 pg/ml in ST for each time period. At day 5, it was 9 ± 3, 64 ± 41, 122 ± 73, and 54.1 ± 17.8 in ET and 8 ± 1, 68 ± 21, 111 ± 52, and 32 ± 14 pg/ml in ST. Differences of melatonin between ET and ST at day 5 of 12:00 as well as between day 1 and 5 at 12:00 of both conditions were noticed (p<.05). Salivary cortisol and immunoglobulin-A were not different. A nocturnal exercise induced a circadian phase delay in both conditions. However, body temperature increase during exercise intensified the shift indicating the importance of thermal load during exercise for circadian shift.
