The influence of circadian phase and prior wake on neuromuscular function

Abstract

Previous forced desynchrony (FD) studies have shown that neurobehavioral function is affected by circadian phase and duration of prior wakefulness. There is some evidence that neuromuscular function may also be affected by circadian phase and prior wake, but these effects have not been systematically investigated. This study examined the effects of circadian phase and prior wake on two measures of neuromuscular function—postural balance (PB) and maximal grip strength (MGS)—using a 28-h FD protocol. Eleven male participants (mean±SD: 22.7±2.5 yr) lived in a sound-attenuated, light- and temperature-controlled time-isolation laboratory for 12 days. Following two training days and a baseline day, participants were scheduled to seven 28-h FD days, with the ratio between sleep opportunity and wake spans kept constant (i.e., 9.3h sleep period and 18.7h wake period). PB was measured during 1min of quiet standing on a force platform. MGS of the dominant hand was measured using a dynamometer. These two measures were obtained every 2.5h during wake. Core body temperature was continuously recorded with rectal thermistors to determine circadian phase. For both measures of neuromuscular function, individual data points were assigned a circadian phase and a level of prior wake. Data were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with two within-subjects factors: circadian phase (six phases) and prior wake (seven levels). For MGS, there was a main effect of circadian phase, but no main effect of prior wake. For PB, there were no main effects of circadian phase or prior wake. There were no interactions between circadian phase and prior wake for MGS or PB. The significant effect of circadian phase on muscle strength is in agreement with previous reports in the literature. In terms of prior wake, both MGS and PB remained relatively stable across wake periods, indicating that neuromuscular function may be more robust than neurobehavioral function when the duration of wakefulness is within a normal range (i.e., 18.7h).