Why working at night ages you: muscles can’t cope without a regimen

Our bodies live on a schedule, and muscles are no exception. They, as it turns out, have their own internal clock that controls their recovery. Researchers from King’s College London have proven that when this mechanism is disrupted, muscles begin to age before their time.

It turns out that at night, when a person rests, the muscles turn on a special “cleaning” mode. At this time, the process of destroying damaged proteins that have accumulated in the cells during the day is started. This helps muscles retain their strength and shape. But it is worth disrupting this process – for example, due to night shifts – and the renewal is disrupted.

To understand how exactly affects the disruption in circadian rhythms, scientists conducted an experiment on transparent fish danio- rerio, which are ideal for observation. Some of the fish genetically disrupted the work of the “muscle clock” and compared them with normal individuals.

The results were clear: at first there were no differences, but by two years “disorganized” fish were noticeably behind. They were smaller, weaker, swam slower and less often – all these are signs of aging muscles, similar to those found in people who work at night

The reason is that without a clear rhythm, damaged proteins accumulate in the cells, metabolism is impaired and muscle performance declines. It’s the same thing that happens as we age, only faster.

In the UK, more than 4 million people work through the night – and that work is vital to the country. But their health can suffer imperceptibly. Scientists emphasize: understanding how the internal clock affects muscles could help create new ways to protect the body from premature wear and tear.

Experts are now developing drugs that will be able to maintain the work of this “clock” even in those who are forced to live outside the natural rhythm. Perhaps in the future there will be drugs that can slow down muscle aging and prolong the active life of people engaged in night occupations.