Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41980852›Full record

Trial reportOpen heart2026

Chronotype-aligned exercise timing in middle-aged adults at cardiometabolic risk: a randomised controlled trial.

Arsalan Tariq, Mohammed Harris Khalid, Muhammad Ammar

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Open heart, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Arsalan TariqUniversity Institute of Physical Therapy, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan at81931@gmail.com.ORCID 0009-0001-1606-280X
Mohammed Harris KhalidEdinburgh Medical school, University of Edinburgh Division of Medical and Radiological Sciences, Edinburgh, UK.ORCID 0009-0003-6315-7208
Muhammad AmmarIbadat International University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate whether aligning exercise timing with chronotype enhances cardiometabolic and sleep-related benefits in sedentary adults with cardiovascular risk factors.

methodsIn this 12-week randomised controlled trial conducted in Lahore, Pakistan (January-June 2025), 150 sedentary adults (aged 40-60) with at least one cardiovascular risk factor were recruited and categorised as morning-type or evening-type using the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and validated by 48 hour core body temperature monitoring. Participants were randomised into a chronotype-aligned exercise (CAE) group exercising at their preferred time, or a chronotype-misaligned exercise (CME) group exercising at their non-preferred time. Moderate-intensity aerobic training (5 sessions/week, 40 min/session) was supervised. Primary outcomes included systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variability (RMSSD); secondary outcomes included peak oxygen consumption (VO₂ peak), low density lipoprotein (LDL), fasting glucose and sleep quality (PSQI), assessed pre- and post-intervention.

resultsOf 150 randomised participants, 134 completed the study (CAE: n=64; CME: n=70). CAE led to significantly greater improvements in systolic BP (-10.8 vs -5.5 mm Hg, p=0.002), diastolic BP, RMSSD, VO₂ peak, LDL, fasting glucose and PSQI scores compared with CME. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant group×time interactions across all outcomes (eg, systolic BP: η²=0.095, p=0.005). The reduction in systolic BP in the CAE group was substantial and significantly greater than in the CME group.

conclusionAligning exercise timing with individual chronotype significantly enhances cardiometabolic and sleep-related outcomes in at-risk adults. Chronotype-based exercise prescriptions may offer a cost-effective, personalised approach to improving cardiovascular health.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular DiseasesChronotypeCircadian RhythmExerciseExercise TherapySedentary BehaviorAdultBlood PressureCardiometabolic Risk FactorsFemaleHeart RateHumansMaleMiddle AgedRisk FactorsSleepCardiac RehabilitationHypertensionMetabolic DiseasesObesityOutcome Assessment, Health Care

Identifiers

PMID41980852
PMCPMC13158592

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.