It�s no accident that most of us tend to sleep at night and wake at daybreak. As a result, we get hungry at specific times throughout the day. It�s a natural cycle that is innate in us humans.
Have you ever wondered what happens to your body when this natural cycle is disrupted? Especially for shift workers clocking irregular hours in the long run, pulling all-nighters, eating at odd hours of the day, and how such lifestyle affects one�s nutrition and health?
Nutritional implications of an altered circadian rhythm
Shift work can be detrimental to the health of workers because it interferes the body�s circadian rhythm, also known as our �body clock�. Its role is to tell our body the right time to sleep, to wake up, to feel hungry, to release certain hormones and carry out many other essential functions within a 24-hour cycle. When a worker has irregular shifts that alter the time they eat and sleep, such as an overnight shift, it causes disruption to the circadian rhythm.
Research has found that the human body is designed to expend more energy in the day than in the night due to the circadian rhythm. As a result, workers on night or irregular shifts expend less calories in the middle of the night after a meal. This leads to weight gain since excess calories are stored as fat reserves. Coupled with the fact that there are metabolic disturbances such as glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia as the circadian rhythm is disturbed, this will cause the worker to gain even more weight and predispose them to type 2 diabetes.
Shift workers tend to eat meals or snacks late at night but the body is programmed to be in fasting mode during this time (according to the circadian rhythm!), and it does not expect to receive an intake of food. So, when a worker eats late at night during a night shift, the body gets confused and ends up generating an abnormal metabolic response within the body, compared to when the food is eaten during the day. When this happens repeatedly over a prolonged period, it becomes a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Furthermore, a disrupted circadian rhythm can cause shift workers to experience decreased cognitive abilities, poor reflexes and poor decision making due to fatigue. It can also increase the risks of mental health disorders and sleep disorders.
How else does shift work sabotage a worker�s nutrition?
There are other factors that can contribute to the negative nutritional impacts of shift work besides a disrupted circadian rhythm:
- Working irregular hours means less time preparing food to take to work, this means that workers must buy takeaway. Convenient takeaway choices are usually not healthy. Workers may be tempted to go to convenience stores or fast-food restaurants just because it is nearer to their workplace. They may even purchase food from an office vending machine, which is usually highly processed and contains many preservatives.
- Meals provided to them by their companies may not be as nutritious.
- Lack of healthy snacks available at the workplace.
- Due to social influence from co-workers, workers may be tempted to buy unhealthy takeaway with their colleagues.
- After a long night shift, tired workers prefer easy-to-prepare meals or something quick and easy to eat, which are usually lacking in nutritional quality.
- Meals might be delayed or missed during a busy shift. For example, breakfast might be missed if the ending night shift is delayed.
However, the good news is that by taking measures to counter these adverse impacts, the worst can be prevented.
Healthy eating guidelines to survive shift work
Here are some tips from Active Health Coach Nur Azlina, on ways that shift workers can eat healthier:
- Include plenty of lean proteins and fibres for your main meal before your shift. These foods prolonged the feeling of fullness even after the meal, controlling your overall caloric intake.
- Keep a healthy snack pack! Fill it with wholemeal crackers, packets of unflavoured milk, portioned nuts and fresh fruits (bananas, oranges and apples). These options can reduce the temptations of unhealthy snacks.
- Drink plenty of water and always carry a water bottle with you during your shifts. Choosing water instead of sugary drinks and alcohol helps to reduce intake of liquid calories, helps in digestion and optimal muscle function. If you find it difficult to drink just plain water, you can consider adding some fruits to your water to give it some flavour which makes it tastier to drink!
- Avoid drinking coffee and tea six hours before sleeping to allow sufficient time for the caffeine to wear off.
- Stick to eating at regular times even during night shift / prolonged shift work. This will help the circadian rhythm to regulate and readjust.
The human body is not built to handle shift work, especially those with schedules that keep changing. However, with sufficient knowledge, good guidelines, discipline and the effort to commit to change, one can better manage and prevent the negative effects that shift work has on one�s health. For more tips to Eat Better, sign up for one of our Nutrition e-workshops.
Related Articles
Related Topics
Recent Events & Programmes
Related Topics
Related Topics
[BlogPost 164749641842 NSG 2024 Netball: Senior Div Girls League 3 Preliminary Round 2, BlogPost 163985727414 Beyond the Field: Exciting Sports Careers for Non-Athletes, BlogPost 164438712123 NSG 2024 Badminton: Senior Div Girls Quarter-Finals, BlogPost 164238055490 Evergreen Aleksandar Duric Still Making Headlines at 53, BlogPost 164170080646 NSG 2024 Rope Skipping: Junior Div Girls Freestyle Team Finals, BlogPost 162884973666 Move and Rest Better With Data From Your Own Body, BlogPost 163393049482 Life Comes Full Circle For Serangoon Garden Secondary School's Fahrish Khan, BlogPost 163258797651 Making Golf a Sport for All, BlogPost 162512222328 NSG 2024 Sepaktakraw: Senior Div Yuhua Primary School vs Qihua Primary School, BlogPost 162233592997 Gritty Lions Suffer Loss to China, BlogPost 162089384371 On Your Mark, Get Ready, Go Running, BlogPost 161670652697 Lions' Excellent Showing Against China, BlogPost 161435270031 Ogura Optimistic for Exciting Clash against China, BlogPost 161127614758 The Future of Basketball in Singapore: Why 3x3 is Here to Stay, BlogPost 161033673012 The Active Lifestyler's Guide to the New ActiveSG Delta Sport Centre, BlogPost 161128356680 Grand New Champions Crowned at WTT Singapore Smash 2024, BlogPost 160844835218 NSG 2024 Table Tennis: C Div Boys Pool Round, BlogPost 160210745115 NSG 2024 Basketball: Senior Div Girls Tampines Primary School vs Frontier Primary School, BlogPost 159881180544 Whirlwind Return to Women's Football, BlogPost 159633541417 Singapore Smash to Elevate a New Legacy, BlogPost 158983580420 NSG 2024 Rugby: B Div Damai Secondary School vs Peirce Secondary School, BlogPost 159003960202 SFA Fiesta: Kicking off 2024 to a Roaring Start, BlogPost 158830735126 NSG 2024 Football: B Div Girls Preliminary Round Meridian Secondary School VS Bowen Secondary School, BlogPost 158536989718 Team Nila Volunteers Recognized At Awards Ceremony, BlogPost 158270107806 NSG 2024 Hockey: B Div Boys Preliminary Round Raffles Institution VS St. Hilda Secondary School, BlogPost 157966862615 NSG 2024 Floorball: B Division Preliminary Rounds Kick Off!, BlogPost 157562433712 What Is Safe Sport?, BlogPost 157559446197 Sengkang Secondary: Cultivating Well-Rounded Footballers, BlogPost 157368261167 New National Training Centre for Cricket at West Coast Ground, BlogPost 155340164987 Active Ageing with Joey Bonifacio, BlogPost 155930815517 Inaugural Singapore Youth League kicks off from 24th February 2024, BlogPost 155340164727 Bukit Canberra : the Coolest Spot in the North, BlogPost 155368905255 How Padang Fandi Inspired Ayden to Chase his Dream, BlogPost 154755572826 Ageing Backwards with Elizabeth Cheang, BlogPost 154094657315 Running For Fitness, BlogPost 153318636178 Excitement Builds for FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2024, BlogPost 153198644247 World's Top Four Confirmed for 2024 HSBC Women's World Championship, BlogPost 149413941770 Cultivating Your Kids’ Interest in the Outdoors, BlogPost 149413941163 Making Sport More Appealing for Our Kids, BlogPost 149412549409 Solo Or Team Sport – Choosing the Best for Your Child, BlogPost 151197478798 Former Lions Stalwart Baihakki Khaizan Sheds Light on New Accreditation to Elevate Grassroots Football and Youth Development, BlogPost 80703591291 New Year, Fitter You! Here are the top 3 workouts for the New Year, BlogPost 81171151456 7 Reasons Why Sports are Great for Children’s Mental Health, BlogPost 80542065330 17 Best Yoga Classes & Studios in Singapore [+ Rating & Prices], BlogPost 149404351798 From Brush to Lens: A Student's Journey in the World of Art and Sports Photography, BlogPost 149402825063 The Benefits of Active Parenting, BlogPost 149397832009 Sweden Claim 9th Straight Gold at the Women's World Floorball Championship, BlogPost 149397831449 Lion City Sailors Win 2023 Singapore Cup, BlogPost 148511324266 Pitch Perfect with Jonathan Teo, BlogPost 148511724402 Seniors: Increase your flexibility bit by bit with these stretches]