The Effect of Meal Composition and Body Fat on Sleep and Tiredness" (2001)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
University of North Florida UNF Digital Commons All Volumes (2001-2008) The sprO ey Journal of Ideas and Inquiry 2001 The ffecE t of Meal Composition and Body Fat on Sleep and Tiredness Michael Malone University of North Florida Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/ojii_volumes Part of the Medicine and Health Sciences Commons Suggested Citation Malone, Michael, "The Effect of Meal Composition and Body Fat on Sleep and Tiredness" (2001). All Volumes (2001-2008). 130. http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/ojii_volumes/130 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The sprO ey Journal of Ideas and Inquiry at UNF Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Volumes (2001-2008) by an authorized administrator of UNF Digital Commons. For more information, please contact Digital Projects. © 2001 All Rights Reserved The Effect of Meal obtain similar hours of sleep during different meal composition diets, because Composition and Body Fat on sleep varied for each diet. Sleep and Tiredness The results suggest that dietary fat interacts with body fat to increase Michael Malone tiredness, while at the same time decreasing sleep. Surprisingly, Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Joan Farrell, carbohydrates also appear to interact Professor of Health Science with body fat to decrease sleep and increase tiredness. Dietary fat, however, increased tiredness to a much larger Abstract extent than dietary carbohydrates. High body fat subjects invariably obtained less The role of dietary carbohydrates, sleep and higher tiredness ratings on dietary fat, and body fat in the regulation high-fat low-carbohydrate and high of sleep and tiredness was determined by carbohydrate low-fat diets, but lower studying sleep and tiredness in nineteen body fat individuals were not consistently female subjects of different body effected to a great extent. In comparison compositions. It was hypothesized that to carbohydrates, dietary fat had a dietary fat and body fat intera~t to cause greater sleep depriving effect and an increase in sleep and tiredness. tiredness was dramatically increased in Subjects were healthy college students high body fat subjects. The conclusion of between the ages of 18 and 25 years old. this study is that high body fat individuals This study was dual-phased. Phase I can decrease their tiredness and increase involved a 21 day record of normal hours sleep by avoiding high-fat and high slept per day and self-reported tiredness. carbohydrate diets. In Phase II, the subjects consumed both a high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet for five days (for a total of 10 days). Introduction Phase I found no correlation between body fat percentage and sleep during the The exact physiological and biological control (mixed carbohydrates, fat, and interactions that occur to induce sleep are protein) diet. An insignificant negative unknown. It has been shown, however, that correlation was found between body fat obese patients are more tired and fatigued percentage and tiredness ratings, but this than normal individuals (11). This can affect was likely due to psychological factors or the ability of these individuals to be chance. productive members of society. Therefore, The results from Phase II suggest to help these individuals, the mechanism that both dietary fat and carbohydrates that elicits this tiredness effect should be consistently decrease sleep and increase discerned. For the biological mechanism of tiredness in high-fat individuals. The fat induced tiredness to be understood, the primary effect of dietary fat and kind of fat (dietary or body) responsible for carbohydrates appears to be a decrease in this effect should be determined. the hours of sleep. The effect on tiredness Thus far, research has shown a may be a secondary response to sleep correlation between sleep and both dietary deprivation, or may be independently and body fat (13, 11). Recent evidence effected by diet. The data cannot support shows that obese individuals experience or contradict that tiredness differences more sleepiness (tiredness) than normal exist for high body fat subjects who weight individuals (11). Studies have been inconsistent regarding dietary fat and its 64 Osprey Journal of Ideas and Inquiry effect on tiredness. Some studies show an were shown to effect tiredness in past association between dietary fat and tiredness studies (2, 4,5, 12, 13). Some studies (13, 12,4,5,2). Other studies, however, indicate that carbohydrates appear to conclude that there is no correlation between increase tiredness (4, 10), but research dietary fat and tiredness (14,8). Body fat suggests that the effect is less intense than differs greatly from dietary fat. The that offat (13,14). Carbohydrates, however, mechanism in which body fat induces sleep have also been shown to have a negligible and tiredness, therefore, may be much effect on sleepiness (8, 5, 9). The effect of a different from the way dietary fat elicits high-fat low-carbohydrate diet on sleep and sleep and tiredness. However, few studies tiredness could be due to, or at least comparing these two types of fat (dietary influenced, by the lack of carbohydrates. and body) have been conducted. It is Therefore, determining the effect of possible, then, that obese people experience carbohydrates on sleeping patterns is more tiredness because they eat a lot of fat. necessary to accurately determine the effect Therefore, the effect could be caused by of meal composition on sleep and dietary fat and not body fat. sleepiness. Even if diet is controlled in body fat It was hypothesized that high body fat studies, the chronic effect of a high-fat diet individuals would tend to sleep more than may not be eliminated by the control diet. normal body fat subjects and significantly For example, dietary fat has been shown to more than low body fat subjects over the increase levels of hormones such as three week control period (phase I). It was cholecystokinin (13). The increased levels of also hypothesized that: body fat and dietary this and other dietary induced hormones, fat would interact, sleep and tiredness would therefore, may be the cause of tiredness (not increase, and subjects with a high body fat body fat). If one only studies body fat, composition would be severely effected by however, the investigator may be observing the high-fat diet. Normal body fat the chronic effects of a high fat diet. This individuals and low body fat individuals intervening variable could be eliminated in a were expected to be moderately effected by study by measuring hormone levels to the dietary fat. ensure they are not elevated due to a Carbohydrates were expected to have a chronically high-fat diet. This is not possible negligible effect on all subjects. It was since all the hormones responsible for anticipated that obese individuals could inducing sleep from dietary fat are not increase their vivacity and stamina through known (16). Therefore, the best way to dietary regulation. differentiate between the effects of dietary fat and body fat is to research both in the same study. Both phases of the study were Methods done on the same subjects, so differentiation between the dietary and body fat variables For the purpose of this study, numerous could be accomplished. terms were defined: The purpose of this study was to • Normal body fat subjects were defined determine and compare the effects of meal as 18-25% body fat composition and body fat on sleep and • High body fat subjects were defined as tiredness. Determining the difference women over 25% body fat (obese) between the role of dietary and body fat in • Low body fat Subjects were defined as the regulation of sleep and tiredness was women less than 18% body fat. only the first step in determining dietary effects on sleeping patterns. The effect of carbohydrates was also addressed in this study, due to the fact that carbohydrates Osprey Journal of Ideas and Inquiry 65 • Highfat-low carbohydrate (HFLC) not tired/fatigued at all. This self-rated diet was defined in this study as allowing the tiredness was recorded as soon as the subject subjects to eat only certain foods and woke and every subsequent five hours until instructing them to avoid certain other foods the subject was again asleep. As a control high in carbohydrates (i.e. explaining what measure, subjects recorded the approximate is in food so they can avoid carbohydrates time they ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner on and eat fat). each day. A daily diet was also recorded for • Low fat-high carbohydrate (LFHC) eight days of this three week period (phase diet was defined as allowing the subjects to I). eat only certain foods high in carbohydrates The average sleep and tiredness ratings and/or protein. Fat in food will be explained were calculated for each individual and each and they must avoid fatty foods. group. The standard deviation for each • Control diet was defined as the group was also calculated. The individual subjects normal diet and generally consisted averages were plotted against body fat of moderate fat and carbohydrate intakes. percentage and linear regression was • Tiredness was defined as the desire for conducted to receive an r-squared value. sleep and is synonymous with sleepiness in this study. Phase II • Bioelectrical impedance is a method Phase II consisted often subjects from used to measure body fat percentage using Phase I. Each subject was placed on a high electricity. The percentage of fat is based on fat, low-carbohydrate diet for five days the resistance of the body to a small (Monday-Friday) and a low-fat, high electrical current. carbohydrate diet for five days (Monday Friday). During this time, they recorded Sample and Setting their sleep and "perceived" tiredness as This study consisted of a sample of 19 described in Phase I.