Aerobic and/or resistance exercise in restoring metabolic dysregulation induced by chronic sleep restriction in rats

Chronic sleep restriction (SR) disrupts blood glucose regulation, leading to glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. Regular exercises, however, are known to enhance glycemic control. This study aimed to evaluate the regulatory effects of three distinct exercise protocols on blood glucose alterations caused by chronic rapid eye movement SR. Thirty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated into five groups: control (CTRL), SR, SR plus aerobic exercise (SR + Ex_A), SR plus resistance exercise (SR + Ex_R), and SR plus combined exercises (SR + Ex_C). Except for the control group, all rats underwent 18 h of SR daily for 8 weeks using a modified multi-platform model. Exercise protocols included 30 min of swimming and/or vertical ladder climbing (15 repetitions/day) performed 3 days per week for 8 weeks. Following the intervention, glucose and insulin tolerance tests were conducted. Chronic SR increased blood glucose levels, while aerobic and/or resistance exercises effectively reduced or prevented this elevation. Glucose tolerance was significantly improved in all exercise groups compared to the sedentary group (intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test blood glucose 120 min: SR + Ex_A = 95 ± 7.7, SR + Ex_R = 100 ± 7.3, SR + Ex_C = 90 ± 12.6, SR = 119 ± 14.5 mg/dL; <i>P</i> < 0.05). Regular exercise may mitigate adverse metabolic effects of SR.