Performance Around The Clock Emily Manoogian - optimizing shift work health. Performance Around the Clock episode 40.
In episode 40 of the Performance Around The Clock podcast, we are joined by Dr. Emily Manoogian, a leading clinical researcher focused on optimizing human health through the timing of food intake (time-restricted eating) and circadian rhythm regulation. Dr. Manoogian was recently honored with the Young Investigator Award for her seminal studies on circadian disruption among shift workers and interventions to mitigate its effects. We begin the episode by defining the complex reality of shift work—whether fixed, rotating, or split shifts—and how working outside typical hours challenges the human body.
Dr. Manoogian and Panda explore the cascading health effects of "circadian disruption," distinguishing between acute annoyances and chronic risks that build up over months and years. Dr. Manoogian explains how being active and eating when the body expects rest can lead to insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, mood disorders, and even increased cancer risk. We also discuss the broader societal impacts, from the "social jetlag" affecting students and new parents to the unique stressors faced by frontline workers like firefighters and nurses.
The conversation highlights actionable science, focusing on the "Healthy Heroes" study conducted with San Diego firefighters. Dr. Manoogian shares how Time-Restricted Eating (TRE)—limiting food intake to a 10-hour window—significantly reduced VLDL (bad cholesterol). reduced blood sugar levels, improved blood pressure and improved emotional stability in this high-stress population. Dr. Manoogian is currently studying a different shift work group with the ongoing "Shift Study" for nurses, which is using continuous glucose monitoring to test if optimizing meal timing and low-glycemic snacks can protect the cardiometabolic health of night-shift workers.
Please join us for this vital discussion on optimizing health for those who keep our society running around the clock. If you enjoy this episode, please like, comment, or follow. Thanks for listening.
Guest:
Dr. Emily Manoogian
Hillblom Fellow, Staff Scientist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Young Investigator Award Winner, Working Time Society
myCircadianClock website:
Healthy HEROES study:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9536325/
SHIFT study:
Participate by emailing:
Host:
Dr. Satchin Panda
X (Twitter): @SatchinPanda
https://x.com/SatchinPanda
Instagram: @satchin.panda
https://www.instagram.com/satchin.panda/
Links:
Donations: https://panda.salk.edu/giving/
Research: https://www.salk.edu/scientist/satchidananda-panda/
More science: https://mycircadianclock.org/