Physical activity and meal timing alignment with chronotype and their associations with glucose metabolism: The Maastricht Study
Authors' conclusion
Weekday, but not weekend, alignment of physical activity and meal timing with chronotype was modestly associated with more favourable glucose metabolism. These findings suggest a potential role of behaviour-chronotype alignment in metabolic health, warranting confirmation in prospective and intervention studies.
Study context
- Population
- Participants of The Maastricht Study; activity timing by accelerometry, meal timing by chrono-nutrition questionnaire, chronotype by midpoint of sleep on free days corrected for sleep debt
- Participants
- 1,384 participants
- Exposure
- Alignment vs misalignment of physical activity and meal timing with chronotype
- Outcome
- Glycaemic parameters (FPG, 2-h post-load glucose, HbA1c) and prediabetes or T2D
Methodological detailsconfounder-adjusted logistic and linear regression
- Confounder-adjusted logistic and linear regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Aligned vs MisalignedOR (weekday meal timing alignment), prediabetes or T2D (95% CI)
Aligned
0.62(0.43–0.89)
- Lower haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) with alignment
- β per 20% more aligned weekdays (weekday physical activity timing alignment), HbA1c −0.48 % (95% CI −0.95 to −0.02)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Physical activity and meal timing alignment with chronotype and their associations with glucose metabolism: The Maastricht Study. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 3 February 2026. doi:10.
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