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Meal size and intermeal interval in human subjects in time isolation
J Green1, C P Pollak, G P Smith
1Department of Psychiatry, Cornell University Medical College, NY.
Physiology & Behavior
|January 1, 1987
Summary
In time isolation, longer sleep-wake periods (SWP) did not change meal size but increased intervals between meals. This suggests shared biological mechanisms regulate both sleep and eating patterns.
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Human Physiology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Previous research indicated longer sleep-wake periods (SWP) in free-running desynchrony (FRD) correlated with longer intermeal intervals (IMI).
- This suggested a potential shared regulatory mechanism for sleep-wake cycles and meal timing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate meal content, number, and size in subjects experiencing altered SWP.
- To further explore the relationship between sleep-wake timing and meal regulation under conditions of free-running synchrony (FRS) and FRD.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of meal content and frequency in eight subjects during weeks of time isolation.
- Comparison of eating patterns during stable free-running synchrony (FRS) and lengthened, desynchronized free-running periods (FRD).
Main Results:
- Subjects consumed approximately three meals per SWP in both FRS and FRD, with similar average meal sizes.
- Mean caloric intake decreased by 21% per 24 hours, and mean satiety ratio increased by 27% during FRD.
- Despite reduced caloric intake, body weight remained stable, and decreased food consumption was not linked to core body temperature.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the concept that shared biological mechanisms govern both sleep-wake timing and meal timing in humans during time isolation.
- Meal size did not drive longer intermeal intervals in desynchrony, but meal timing appears closely linked to the sleep-wake cycle's regulation.