ArticlePhysical activity and nutrition2023
Effects of exercise timing and intensity on physiological circadian rhythm and sleep quality: a systematic review.
Article in Physical activity and nutrition, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07234812 (The Effects of Tailored Resistance Exercise on Sleep Quality in Relation to Chronotype), which is not on this map. Cited by 38 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Effects of Tailored Resistance Exercise on Sleep Quality in Relation to Chronotype
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 36 citations in OpenAlex.
- Dose-response relationship between physical activity and subjective sleep quality in patients with insomnia: a systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2026Pooled it
- Exercise dose architecture as a precision-informed developmental framework in autism spectrum disorder: a narrative review of mechanisms, sex- and development-related heterogeneity, and clinical translation.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Mapping the effects of exercise on cognition and physical function: a scoping review of rodent studies.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Pooled it
- Exercise interventions to improve sleep quality in university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- The effectiveness of cryostimulation exposure on sleep and recovery in male athletes: Timing considerations.European journal of sport science · 2024Trial
- Poor sleep quality and its association patterns with eating disorders, body composition and physical activity among university students in Douala-Cameroon.IBRO neuroscience reports · 2026Article
- Acute effects of morning versus evening aerobic exercise on nocturnal blood pressure in healthy young men.Journal of physical therapy science · 2026Article
- The impact of physical activity and exercise timing on metabolic health among individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes.Diabetologia · 2026Review
- Chrono-Exercise Medicine: Why Biological Timing Matters for Human Health.Biomedicines · 2026Article
- The Impact of Sunlight and Artificial Light at Night on Sleep Stages: Evidence From a 7-Day Sensor-Based Observational Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Observational
- Exploring the postoperative sleep experience of colorectal cancer patients with temporary stomas: a descriptive qualitative study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Sleep Hygiene Improves Aerobic and Anaerobic Performance Independent of Cortisol Mediation in Female Collegiate Soccer Players.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Article
- Observational
- Basketball participation improves sleep quality through psychological flexibility in adolescents.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Chronobiology-Driven Anti-Aging Strategies for Enhancing Dentists' Occupational Health and Quality of Life: A Narrative Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- The role and implications of mammalian cellular circadian entrainment.FEBS letters · 2026Review
- Article
- Exploring how physical activity influences life satisfaction in dual-shift workers, with a focus on the roles of sleep quality, subjective well-being, and the sleep environment.BMC public health · 2026Article
- The effects of aerobic exercise on sleep quality in older adults with sleep problems: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
- Exercise timing as a potential temporal regulator of neurolymphatic physiology in neurodegenerative proteinopathies: a mechanistic framework.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposeHumans show near-24-h physiological and behavioral rhythms, which encompass the daily cycle of sleep and wakefulness. Exercise stimulates circadian rhythms, including those of cortisol, melatonin, and core body temperature, and affects sleep quality. We systematically reviewed studies that examined the effects of exercise intensity and timing on physiological circadian rhythms and sleep quality.
methodsIn this systematic review, we used the online databases PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Embase. This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Two independent and experienced systematic reviewers performed the search and selected relevant studies. The participant, intervention, comparison, and outcome characteristics were: (1) adults; (2) exercise treatment; (3) no exercise treatment or different types of exercise (pre-exercise baseline); (4) cortisol, melatonin, or core body temperature measurement, and subjective or objective sleep quality assessments.
resultsWe identified 9 relevant articles involving 201 participants (77.1% of whom were male). Our review revealed that short-term evening exercise delayed melatonin rhythm and increased nocturnal core body temperature; however, no negative effects on non-rapid eye movement sleep and sleep efficiency were observed. Moreover, no differences in sleep quality were observed between acute high-intensity and moderate-intensity exercises. With long exercise durations, the core body temperature tended to increase and return to baseline levels at 30-120 min.
conclusionOur review showed that short-term evening exercise and high-intensity exercise did not have a significant negative effect on sleep quality but physiological circadian rhythm tended to alter. Longterm morning exercise tended to decrease cortisol concentrations after awakening and improve sleep quality. Future studies should examine the effects of long-term exercise timing and intensity on circadian rhythm and sleep.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.