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The timing of meals.
Jan H Strubbe1, Stephen C Woods
1Department of Neuroendocrinology, University of Groningen, Haren, The Netherlands. j.h.strubbe@biol.rug.nl
Psychological Review
|February 6, 2004
Summary
Meal initiation in rats is influenced by circadian rhythms, light-dark cycles, and preceding meal size. These factors interact to regulate feeding patterns when food is readily available.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral neuroscience
- Chronobiology
- Animal physiology
Background:
- Food intake typically occurs in discrete meals.
- Factors controlling meal timing, especially when food is abundant, are not well understood.
- Understanding meal initiation is crucial for metabolic and behavioral research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the primary determinants of meal initiation in rats under conditions of ad libitum food access.
- To identify the key regulatory factors that signal the start of a meal.
Main Methods:
- Experiments were conducted using laboratory rats with unrestricted access to food.
- Observations focused on the timing of meal initiation in relation to environmental and physiological cues.
- Data analysis examined the influence of circadian patterns, light-dark cycles, and prior meal size.
Main Results:
- Circadian activity patterns, particularly the dark phase for nocturnal rats, significantly influence meal initiation.
- Regular transitions in the light-dark cycle act as temporal cues for meal timing.
- Larger preceding meals were correlated with a longer interval before the next meal began.
Conclusions:
- Meal initiation is governed by an interplay of endogenous circadian rhythms, external light-dark cycles, and the physiological feedback from previous meals.
- These core mechanisms are further modulated by learned behaviors, convenience, and situational opportunities.
- The study provides a framework for understanding the multi-factorial control of feeding behavior in rodents.