UW Associate Professor’s Exercise Research Finds Ways to Lessen Jet Lag

How many people in Wyoming have hopped on a plane at Denver International Airport enroute to a distant vacation destination, only to wake up that first morning feeling a little confused about whether it was breakfast or lunch time?

We all know that feeling as jet lag. But can there be ways to lessen its impact?

Emily Schmitt, an associate professor with the University of Wyoming’s Division of Kinesiology and Health, and several other university researchers say “yes.” Their research recently was shared in a Time magazine article.

The article, titled “The 6 Best Strategies for Coping With Jet Lag,” focuses on sleep science, nutrition, medications and exercise -- and how adjustments in these areas can help lessen the effects of jet lag.

Schmitt’s research aims to better understand the mechanistic underpinnings of how exercise can realign disrupted circadian rhythms. In other words, her lab implements timed exercise during circadian disruption to study the positive effects exercise has on the central circadian clock.

But what does that have to do with jet lag?

In her contribution to the Time article, Schmitt explains, “On your first morning in a new time zone, do 20 minutes of activity. It doesn’t have to be an all-out sprint or a hard CrossFit workout. It could simply be wandering down to your local coffee shop. Anything that gets you up and out of bed in the morning will help your body perk up and adjust to its new surroundings. It also may help your digestion get back to normal.”

These recommendations are in line with the more in-depth studies she and her students will undertake this fall in Schmitt’s Circadian Rhythm and Exercise Research Lab, housed in UW’s Science Initiative Building.

“We are currently analyzing the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) located in the anterior part of the hypothalamus of the brain,” Schmitt says. “The SCN is the central pacemaker of the circadian timing system and regulates most circadian rhythms in the body. Once we complete these experiments, we will have a better idea of how exercise can restore circadian rhythm centrally and how the remodeling of the brain from exercise can regulate circadian rhythm -- both of which are important to move the field of chronobiology forward.”

The lab’s student team includes Gustavo Hernandez, an undergraduate from Rock Springs; Cole Nelson, from Pavillion, who just graduated with a master’s degree in kinesiology and health; and Cole Wyatt, an undergraduate from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., who is a Wyoming IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program Fellow.

Schmitt serves as project leader overseeing the aims of this research. Funding for the lab is provided by the Wyoming Sensory Biology Center (WSBC), which is a Phase 2 (P20) Center of Biomedical Research Excellence program funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health.

“We are very pleased to support the work of faculty researchers with broad interests in human health, such as Dr. Schmitt,” says Qian-Quan Sun, director and principal investigator of WSBC. “There are already many synergies between Dr. Schmitt’s group and other researchers at WSBC. We hope these interactions will lead to a better understanding of the importance of the circadian system in various health-related issues.”

Qin “Arthur” Zhu, interim director of the Division of Kinesiology and Health -- part of UW’s College of Health Sciences -- says it’s important to share information about research, such as Schmitt’s, to better inform the public.

“The Division of Kinesiology and Health is excited for Dr. Schmitt’s research findings being featured in Time magazine,” Zhu says. “This media attention not only reflected the significance of work she and her team are devoted to, but it also informed the public that exercise plays an important role in alleviating circadian disruption, adding the existing knowledge of health benefits that could be brought by exercise.”

“We are ecstatic to see Dr. Schmitt’s research being featured in Time magazine. This recognition highlights the critical role that timing plays in optimizing physical performance and overall health,” says Michelle Hilaire, a clinical professor and interim dean of the College of Health Sciences. “Dr. Schmitt continues to push the boundaries of understanding how we can align exercise with natural biological rhythms to enhance well-being.”

About the University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences

UW’s College of Health Sciences trains health and wellness professionals and researchers in a wide variety of disciplines, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, speech-language pathology, social work, kinesiology, public health, health administration and disability studies. The college also oversees residency and fellowship programs in Casper and Cheyenne, as well as operating a speech/hearing clinic in Laramie and primary care clinics in Laramie, Casper and Cheyenne.

With more than 1,600 undergraduate, graduate and professional students, the college is dedicated to training the health and wellness workforce of Wyoming and conducting high-quality research and community engagement, with a particular focus on rural and frontier populations.