Shows
CHRONO:MEDICINEE29 - Glucocorticoids with Henriette Uhlenhaut (EBRS 2025 Spotlight 2)As the second spotlight for the European Biological Rhythms Society (EBRS) congress (taking place in Lübeck in Northern Germany from the 24th to 28th of August 2025), Prof. Henriette Uhlenhaut (Professor of 'Metabolic Programming' at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Director of the Institute for Diabetes and Endocrinology at the Helmholtz Center in Munich) talks about glucocorticoids (such as cortisol), commonly known as the “stress hormones”. We discuss how glucocorticoids regulate gene expression at many different sites within our body and how they play different roles in metabolism, immune responses and inflammation. Wehighlight that glucocorticoids are secreted in a...2025-05-211h 07
ACHILLES RUNNING PodcastTrainieren nach Chronotyp - mit Dr. Jan-Frieder HarmsenDer Schlüssel zur Bestzeit könnte in deinem Chronotyp liegen! Gemeinsam mit Chronobiologe und Sportwissenschaftler Dr. Jan-Frieder Harmsen machen wir in dieser Folge einen Deepdive in den zirkadianen Rhythmus: Du erfährst, wie du dir zum Beispiel Licht, Körpertemperatur & Co. zunutze machen kannst, um z.B. deinen Körper schneller aufs Training vorzubereiten oder auch deine Schlafqualität (und somit Regeneration) zu verbessern. Frieder verrät, wie wir im Einklang mit unserem Biorhythmus laufen statt gegen ihn - und ob und wie uns Tools wie Blaulichtbrillen oder Melatonin-Supplements dabei behilflich sein können. Viel Spaß beim Hören!2025-04-111h 26LeichtathletikTrainieren nach Chronotyp - mit Dr. Jan-Frieder HarmsenDer Schlüssel zur Bestzeit könnte in deinem Chronotyp liegen! Gemeinsam mit Chronobiologe und Sportwissenschaftler Dr. Jan-Frieder Harmsen machen wir in dieser Folge einen Deepdive in den zirkadianen Rhythmus: Du erfährst, wie du dir zum Beispiel Licht, Körpertemperatur & Co. zunutze machen kannst, um z.B. deinen Körper schneller aufs Training vorzubereiten oder auch deine Schlafqualität (und somit Regeneration) zu verbessern. Frieder verrät, wie wir im Einklang mit unserem Biorhythmus laufen statt gegen ihn - und ob und wie uns Tools wie Blaulichtbrillen oder Melatonin-Supplements dabei behilflich sein können. Viel Spaß beim Hören!2025-04-101h 26
CHRONO:MEDICINEE28 - The Central Clock & Melatonin with Michael Hastings (EBRS 2025 Spotlight 1)In collaboration with the organizers of the 18th Congress of the European Biological Rhythms Society (EBRS) (taking place in Lübeck in Northern Germany from the 24th to 28th of August 2025), three congress speakers are interviewed to talk about their research. As the first spotlight, Prof. Michael Hastings (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge) talks about his research journey from circatidal rhythms in marine organisms to circadian and circaannual rhythms in mammals. Our main focus is on the neurochemistry within the central clock of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) enabling it to tell time. We discuss the most relevant factors t...2025-03-251h 14
CHRONO:MEDICINEE27 - Part 2: A good night's sleep with Christian BenedictIn this second part, Dr. Christian Benedict (Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Research and Pharmacology at Uppsala University, Sweden) explains how our sleep changes with aging and upon different challenges of adult life. We discuss the so-called gold-standard method for measuring sleep (Polysomnography, PSG) and how modern wearable technologies perform compared to PSG. In this context, Christian evaluates the potential value of measuring heart rate variability (HRV) to assess sleep quality. He also emphasizes the health threat through obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and how to use simple self-monitoring technologies to determine if you may be affected by OSA yourself. Lastly...2025-03-1655 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE26 - Part 1: A good night's sleep with Christian BenedictDr. Christian Benedict (Senior Lecturer & Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Research and Pharmacology at Uppsala University, Sweden) talks about how to study sleep and its relevance for our overall health. In this first part, Christian introduces us to different definitions of sleep. Together, we try to decipher the concept of sleep quality or in other words how to judge if somebody had a good night’s sleep or not. Christian also summarizes the research around the optimal duration of sleep and discusses the relevanceof spending time in different sleep stages.Chapters:...2025-03-0943 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE25 - Part 2: Improving health & sleep through daylight with Christian CajochenIn the second part with Prof. Christian Cajochen (Head of
the Centre for Chronobiology at the University of Basel in Switzerland), contributing to the Daylight Awareness Week (28th of October - 2nd of November 2024), we continue our discussion around the impact of daylight on our health, with a special focus on sleep. Christian summarizes the negative effects of bright electric light exposure on sleep and other health outcomes. On the other hand, he highlights the importance of daylight and alternatively increased electric light intensities during daytime for sleep. We also discuss how seasonal changes in daylight affect us more...2024-10-2848 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE24 - Part 1: Improving health & sleep through daylight with Christian CajochenAs part of the Daylight Awareness Week (28th of October - 2nd of November 2024), Prof. Christian Cajochen (Head of the Centre for Chronobiology at the University of Basel in Switzerland) talks about the impact of daylight on our health, with a special focus on sleep. In the first part, we talk about the importance of light for the circadian timing system within our bodies, with melatonin playing an important role. Christian explains why light can have very different effects on our health depending on the time of day of light exposure, and highlights the most important time to see...2024-10-2857 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE23 - Part 2: Timing of caloric restriction for longevity with Victoria Acosta-RodriguezAfter discussing in the first part how caloric restriction can extend lifespan, Dr. Victoria Acosta-Rodriguez (Leader of the Circadian Biology of Aging Unit at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), USA) talks in the second part about her recent study showing that eating these reduced calories always at a certain time of day extends the lifespan of mice even further. Beyond longevity, her study reveals that enhanced health benefits are achieved when feeding versus fasting times are aligned with the natural active and rest phase of mice as dictated by circadian clocks. In the end, we discuss the feasibility...2024-09-271h 09
CHRONO:MEDICINEE22 - Part 1: Timing of caloric restriction for longevity with Victoria Acosta-RodriguezDr. Victoria Acosta-Rodriguez (Leader of the Circadian Biology of Aging Unit at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), USA) talks about her research on longevity and caloric restriction. In this first part, Victoria introduces us to longevity research: what kind of interventions and drugs are known to promote longevity and why precise terminology separating life- and healthspan is important. We discuss how the lifespan of mice relates to the lifespan of humans and to what degree we can therefore translate mice studies to the human setting. As we will learn, one intervention to promote longevity is caloric restriction, that...2024-08-2045 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE21 - Symposium on Circadian Rhythms & Sleep ERATO UK-Japan 2024From the 11th to the 13th of March 2024, the 247Muscle podcast has been invited to cover the ERATO UK - Japan Joint Symposium on Circadian rhythms & Sleep, which took place at the University of Oxford. The symposium aimed to promote research exchange and collaboration in the fields of sleep and circadian clocks between the UK and Japan. In this episode, your host Frieder summarizes scientific insights from the symposium and shares short interviews conducted with speakers during the symposium.
More information about the ERATO UK - Japan Joint Symposium: https://sys-pharm.m.u-tokyo.ac.jp/erato-uk/
2024-07-111h 17
CHRONO:MEDICINEE20 - Part 2: Fundamentals of cellular timekeeping with John O'NeillIn this second part, Dr. John O'Neill (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge) provides deep insights from his recent study on how the timing of food intake mechanistically modifies circadian clocks in cells and animals. He explains the research journey of how his group identified systemic time cues associated with food intake. John highlights the indispensable role of the vital protein kinase called mTOR for the cell to process the timing of food intake. Lastly, we discuss how the mechanistic knowledge from John's research might translate to practical eating strategies for shiftwork and jetlag.
...2024-03-251h 14
CHRONO:MEDICINEE19 - Part 1: Fundamentals of cellular timekeeping with John O'NeillDr. John O'Neill (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge) discusses his research focusing on the fundamentals of cellular timekeeping. In this first part, John explains the advantages of cells as a model to study circadian rhythms. He provides evidence of why we might consider questioning the current paradigm of how cells keep time, since his group for example demonstrated that even cells without nuclei show circadian rhythms. We further highlight a fascinating study in fibroblasts showing that wounds heal much faster when inflicted during the day vs. night. Lastly, John shares his knowledge of the vital protein kinase called...2024-03-1149 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE18 - Part 2: Daylight vs. electric light for health with Russell FosterIn the second part with Prof. Russell Foster (Head of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, and Director of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford), contributing to the Daylight Awareness Week (13-17th of November 2023), we continue our discussion around the differential impact of daylight and electric light on health. We provide a historical perspective about human inventions that aimed to end the dependency on daylight - from fire to electric lighting. Prof. Foster further shares practical recommendations on how daylight and electric light can support health and well-being. Lastly, he gives an outlook on...2023-11-131h 01
CHRONO:MEDICINEE17 - Part 1: Daylight vs. electric light for health with Russell FosterAs part of the Daylight Awareness Week (13-17th of November 2023), Prof. Russell Foster (Head of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, and Director of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford) talks about the differential impact of daylight and electric light on health. In the first part, we cover the basics of how daylight has shaped life on Earth and how it changes over the course of a 24-hour day. Prof. Foster further explains how light sets our inner time, the so-called circadian clock, and how light can influence sleep, alertness, cognitive performance, cardiovascular and...2023-11-1355 min
Exercise Inside Out#018 - Chronobiologie (Part 2) mit Jan-Frieder HarmsenFür Sportler:innen, Coaches, Schichtarbeitende, bekennende Biohacker und die, die es werden wollen!
Nachdem ich mich in der letzten Folge zusammen mit Jan-Frieder Harmsen bereits den Basics zur "Chronobiologie" und den "Chronotypen" gewidmet habe, bringen wir dieses Wissen in Episode #018 in die Anwendung:
- Wie beeinflusst Chronobiologie die Performance?
- Wie schwerwiegend ist es, aus dem Rhythmus zu kommen? UND:
- Was kann man aktiv für einen gesunden Rhythmus tun?
"Für das ultimative Hörerlebnis" und damit ihr alles versteht, hört bitte umbedingt vorher in Episode #017 rein - da wird ins Thema eingeführt.
Du willst...2023-10-131h 24
Exercise Inside Out#017 - Chronotypen & -biologie mit Jan-Frieder Harmsen"Alle möglichen Zellen [...] haben ihre eigene Uhr!"
Damit unser Körper antizipieren kann, wann er aktiv sein muss bzw. sich erholen darf, hat sich ein Rhythmus von etwa 24 h eingestellt, den man "circadian" nennt. Obwohl Licht diesen Rhythmus beinflussen kann, stellt dies einen inneren (endogenen) Prozess dar, der auch in unseren Genen festgelegt ist. In der heutigen Folge spreche ich mit Jan-Frieder Harmsen über das spannende Thema "Chronotypen und -biologie". Dabei gehen wir den Fragen nach:
- Was ist Chronobiologie?
- Wann ist ein Rhythmus "circadian"?
- Wie beeinflussen Licht und Essen unseren Rhythmus?
- Was hat es mit...2023-09-251h 07
CHRONO:MEDICINEE16 - Part 2: Pre-sleep protein after exercise with Jorn TrommelenIn the second part with Dr. Jorn Trommelen (Assistant Professor, Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands), we talk about Jorn's recent study on pre-sleep protein ingestion after acute endurance exercise to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Jorn explains how these findings from acute studies relate to boosting long-term gains in strength, hypertrophy and endurance performance in response to regular pre-sleep protein ingestion. Based on his studies, Jorn shares his view on practical recommendations for pre-sleep protein in endurance- and resistance-training types of sports.
Main paper that we discuss in depth:
Pre‐sl...2023-07-1050 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE15 - Part 1: Pre-sleep protein after exercise with Jorn TrommelenDr. Jorn Trommelen (Assistant Professor, Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands) talks about his research on pre-sleep protein ingestion after exercise to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. In the first part, we discuss the different forms of proteins and how endurance vs. resistance training differ in their post-exercise protein demand. Jorn further explains why the sleeping period is actually not so different from the awake period with respect to protein needs. We also dive into the details of the main methodological approaches used in Jorn's group to assess muscle protein synthesis.
Main paper:2023-06-2747 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE14 - Part 2: Health risks of shift work & how to minimize them with Frank ScheerIn the second part with Prof. Frank Scheer (Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School, USA), we discuss what a night-shift worker could consider doing acutely (preceding, during, and following a shift) and chronically (when working years of shift schedules) to minimize health risks. In this context, we consider concepts like "sleep banking", when to exercise, caffeine ingestion, what to eat, light exposure strategies & more. We highlight which practical tools are supported by scientific evidence, whereas others seem promising but require further investigation. Lastly, Frank shares his view on how this research...2023-05-2148 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE13 - Part 1: Health risks of shift work & how to minimize them with Frank ScheerProf. Frank Scheer (Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School, USA) introduces us to the topic of shift work and its adverse effects on many health aspects. We define the different forms of shift work with a particular focus on night shifts by painting a picture of what the everyday life of a typical nurse in the hospital looks like, and how working night shift possibly affects her health acutely and in the long term. Thereby, we cover the diverse side-effects of shift work on our physiology and cardiometabolic system as well...2023-05-0259 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE12 - Impact of cold vs. heat on exercise recovery with Cas FuchsDr. Cas Fuchs (Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands) talks about two of his studies in which he separately investigated the effect of cold- versus hot-water immersion after exercise on recovery. In this context, Cas explains the acute physiological response to cooling and heating. We question what athletes claim or hope to achieve by applying cooling and heating strategies in practice and whether there is scientific evidence behind these claims. The primary focus of Cas' studies is how cooling and heating influence muscle protein synthesis after resistance training and he describes how muscle protein synthesis is measured...2023-02-151h 07
CHRONO:MEDICINEE11 - When to eat most of your calories with Alex JohnstoneProf. Alexandra Johnstone (The Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, Scotland) talks about her recent study on the timing of calorie loading and its differential effects on weight loss and appetite control. Alex thereby investigated mechanisms behind the diet concept of "eating breakfast like a king". We further discuss the real-world implications of her findings and practical considerations for when to eat most of your calories for different populations.
Main paper that we discuss:
Timing of daily calorie loading affects appetite and hunger responses without changes in energy metabolism in healthy subjects with obesity (Ruddick-Collins...2023-02-131h 13
CHRONO:MEDICINEE10 - Part 2: Time-restricted eating with Courtney PetersonIn the second part with Dr. Courtney Peterson (Associate Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA), we discuss the most recent study published from her laboratory about "Effectiveness of Early Time-Restricted Eating for Weight Loss, Fat Loss, and Cardiometabolic Health in Adults With Obesity - A Randomized Clinical Trial". Subsequently, Courtney points out who should consider practicing time-restricted eating, and whether the early or late form is preferable. In contrast, we also stress that certain populations should be discouraged to practice it.
Main paper that we discuss:
Effectiveness of Early...2023-01-0945 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE9 - Part 1: Time-restricted eating with Courtney PetersonDr. Courtney Peterson (Associate Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA) talks about the timing of food intake and how it matters for metabolic and cardiovascular health. Courtney explains the terminology around intermittent fasting & time-restricted eating, complemented by a historical perspective on the scientific literature about how researchers became more and more interested in the timing of food intake. She thereby covers many diet approaches from caloric restriction, breakfast-skipping, "eat breakfast like a king", 1 vs. 2 vs. 3 meals per day to intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating. We discuss the early animal studies that led to the huge increase...2022-12-1636 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE8 - Part 2: How to use & avoid light to optimize health with Samer HattarIn the second part with Dr. Samer Hattar (Chief of the Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms at the National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA), we discuss:
- the concept of extraocular phototransduction, meaning how the human body can sense and adjust to light beyond the eyes
- how the eyes change upon aging and how this may affect circadian rhythms
- how light at night possibly via impaired sleep can lead to higher appetite & cravings for unhealthy food
- why "Why should I change anything? I sleep well!"...2022-11-1449 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE7 - Part 1: How to use & avoid light to optimize health with Samer HattarDr. Samer Hattar (Chief of the Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms at the National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA) talks about tools to exploit natural daylight and avoid artificial light after sunset to optimize health. In this first part, Samer shares practical recommendations on how to integrate daylight better into our everyday life. We discuss physiological mechanisms at play how light influences human physiology. We extensively cover the topic of blue-blocking glasses, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on time of day, and elaborate on differences between glasses. We further acknowledge many...2022-11-0852 min
CHRONO:MEDICINEE6 - How light influences human physiologyYour host Frieder introduces the topic of light and its influence on human physiology. Properties of light, such as the visible wavelength spectrum of light as well as ultra-violett (UV) and infrared light, are described. Differences between natural daylight and electric artificial light are pointed out. Time-of-day dependency of the influence of light on physiology is highlighted with a special focus on the secretion of the "darkness hormone" melatonin. Practical recommendations on how 24h light exposure can support wakefulness, sleep and overall health are mentioned and will be further discussed in the upcoming episodes with future guests. Frieder also...2022-08-241h 22
CHRONO:MEDICINEE5 - Timing of exercise and why it can matter with Saar EzagouriM.Sc. Saar Ezagouri (Gad Asher's Lab, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel) talks about his study on daily variance in exercise capacity, in which he showed that mice as well as humans have a higher capacity to perform moderate intensity endurance exercise in their respective late activity phase of the day, corresponding to evening hours in humans. We discuss the role of the molecular clock, liver glycogen, and other mechanisms underlying this daily variation. We also address potential practical implications of theses findings in everyday life and whether the general population should worry about when to perform workouts...2022-07-171h 22
CHRONO:MEDICINEE4 - Exercise to counteract the metabolic burden of sleep restriction with Nicholas SanerDr. Nicholas Saner (Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia) talks about his study on how exercise can reduce the negative metabolic impact of sleep restriction. We discuss the overall role of mitochondria in skeletal muscle for metabolic health and zoom into his findings on mitochondrial respiration and sarcoplasmic protein synthesis after sleep restriction in combination with exercise. We elaborate on potential practical implications for shift workers and the general population suffering from sleep restriction.
Main paper that we discuss:
Exercise mitigates sleep-loss-induced changes in glucose tolerance, mitochondrial function, sarcoplasmic protein synthesis...2022-04-111h 29
CHRONO:MEDICINEE3 - Acute metabolic effects of sleep loss with Jonathan CedernaesDr. Jonathan Cedernaes (Northwestern University and Uppsala University) talks about the acute effects of sleep loss on skeletal muscle, adipose tissue and glucose metabolism. Sleep loss is associated with weight gain and loss of muscle mass in humans and insufficient sleep is considered a risk factor to develop obesity and metabolic diseases. We discuss Dr. Cedernaes' recent findings on the molecular changes in muscle and adipose tissue possibly underlying the negative metabolic impact of sleep loss.
Main paper that we discuss:
Acute sleep loss results in tissue-specific alterations in genome-wide DNA methylation...2022-02-181h 23
CHRONO:MEDICINEE2 - Muscle clocks with Karyn EsserProf. Karyn Esser from the University of Florida introduces the circadian clock present in skeletal muscle. We discuss how muscle clocks... work when comparing mice that are active at night to humans that are active during the day; influence metabolism and exercise performance; can be altered by environmental factors such as light, temperature, food intake and muscle contractions at different times of the day; are possibly involved in the development of type 2 diabetes and are affected by alcohol intake.
Main papers that we discuss:
1. Ticking for Metabolic Health: The...2022-02-071h 43
CHRONO:MEDICINEE1 - Introduction to the podcast and your hostIn this episode, Frieder introduces the general idea of the 247MUSCLE podcast and himself.
Papers that I refer to:
Muscle cramps induce muscle hypertrophy:
"Electrically induced muscle cramps induce hypertrophy of calf muscles in healthy adults"
http://www.ismni.org/jmni/pdf/60/14BEHRINGER.pdf
Electric muscle stimulation to treat muscle cramps:
"Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Reduces Leg Cramps in Patients With Lumbar Degenerative Disorders: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial"
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1094715921069117?via%3...2021-12-1933 min