The internal circadian clock increases hunger and appetite in the evening independent of food intake and other behaviors
Open accessAbstract
Objective: Despite the extended overnight fast, paradoxically, people are typically not ravenous in the morning and breakfast is typically the smallest meal of the day. We assessed whether this paradox could be explained by an endogenous circadian influence on appetite with a morning trough, while controlling for sleep/wake and fasting/feeding effects. Design and Methods: Twelve healthy non‐obese adults (six males; age, 20‐42 years) were studied throughout a 13‐day laboratory protocol that balanced all behaviors, including eucaloric meals and sleep periods, evenly across the endogenous circadian cycle. Participants rated their appetite and food preferences by visual analog scales. Results: There was a large endogenous circadian rhythm in hunger, with the trough in the biological morning (8 AM) and peak in the biological evening (8 PM; peak‐to‐trough amplitude = 17%; P = 0.004). Similarly‐phased significant endogenous circadian rhythms were present in appetites for sweet, salty and starchy foods, fruits, meats/poultry, food overall, and for estimates of how much food participants could eat (amplitudes 14‐25%; all P < 0.05). Conclusions: In people who sleep at night, the intrinsic circadian evening peak in appetite may promote larger meals before the fasting period necessitated by sleep, whereas the circadian morning trough would theoretically facilitate the extended overnight fast. Furthermore, the circadian decline in hunger across the night would theoretically counteract the fasting‐induced hunger increase that could otherwise disrupt sleep.
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There is a circadian rhythm for hunger with a peak in appetite in the biological morning around 08:00 and evening at 20:00.
“Hunger, appetite, and food preferences were investigated in another forced desynchrony study using special ratings, revealing a circadian rhythm for hunger with a peak in appetite in the biological morning around 08:00 and evening at 20:00 (46).”
From Meal timing and its role in obesity and associated diseases (2024) · cites this paper as [46]
The Results report a hunger trough around 08:00 and a peak around 20:00; appetite measures followed a similar rhythm. The citing sentence correctly identifies the evening peak but incorrectly calls the biological morning a peak. (LLM, conf=0.94)
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredCore clock genes control the temporality of hunger and appetite, independent of other behaviors.
“In particular, they control the temporality of hunger and appetite, independent of other behaviors (46).”
From Meal timing and its role in obesity and associated diseases (2024) · cites this paper as [46]
The Discussion reports an endogenous rhythm in hunger and appetite independent of time since waking, prior meals, and calories consumed. The paper attributes this to the internal circadian clock, but does not establish that core clock genes control it. Page numbers were not supplied in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredGhrelin, an orexigenic hormone, increases just before a meal and especially at night.
“Ghrelin, an orexigenic hormone, increases just before a meal and especially at night [316]”
From Effects of diet, lifestyle, Chrononutrition and alternative dietary interventions on postprandial Glycemia and insulin resistance (2022) · cites this paper as [316]
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- Authors
- Scheer, F. A. J. L., Morris, C. J., & Shea, S. A.
- Affiliations
- Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Scheer, Frank A.J.L.
- Venue
- Obesity
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2013-03
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 421-423
- ISSN
- 1930-7381 (ISSN-L)
- 1930-739X
- PMC
- PMC3655529
- OpenAlex
- W2106905396
- Cited by
- 296
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 6.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Obesity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Unknown funding agency (NIH-R01-HL76409, NIH-K24 HL076446 to SAS, NCRR GCRC M01 RR02635, NIH-P30-HL101299, NIH-R01-HL094806 in support of FAJLS)
- National Space Biomedical Research Institute through NASA NCC 9-58 in support of CJM
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Dietary Effects on Health
- Keywords
- circadian rhythm, hunger, appetite, food preferences, circadian clock, overnight fasting, sleep-wake cycle, meal timing, dietary intake
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Appetite, Body Temperature, Energy Intake, Choice Behavior, Eating, Fasting, Female, Food Preferences, Humans, Hunger, Male, Sleep, Time Factors, Young Adult, Circadian Clocks
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