Impact of Circadian-Targeted Time-Restricted Feeding on Postprandial Lipemia and Metabolic Flexibility in Rotating Night Shift Industrial Workers

Abstract

Rotating night shift work induces chronic circadian misalignment, leading to severe metabolic dysfunction characterized by impaired postprandial lipid handling and reduced metabolic flexibility. This study investigated whether a circadian-targeted time-restricted feeding (TRE) intervention can mitigate these impairments. In a randomized controlled trial, rotating night-shift industrial workers (N=40) were assigned to either a circadian-aligned TRE intervention (eating only during an 8-hour window synchronized with the biological night/early morning phase, n=20) or a control group consuming food ad libitum across an extended 14-hour window (n=20) for 12 weeks. Following a standardized high-fat mixed meal tolerance test, the TRE group demonstrated significantly lower postprandial triglyceride area under the curve (AUC), faster lipid clearance, and enhanced metabolic flexibility (higher shift from lipid to carbohydrate oxidation) compared to controls. These findings suggest that aligning nutritional timing with circadian rhythms offers a promising countermeasure against shift-work-induced metabolic syndrome.