Effect of Exercise in Sync with Circadian Preference on Classification of Response and Non-response in Migraineurs

Authors

James W. Navalta, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Graham R. McGinnis, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Elias M. Malek, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow

Abstract

It is estimated that 36 million individuals in the U.S. suffer from migraines. While pharmacological treatments are most often prescribed, adverse side effects cause nearly 70% to delay or avoid taking medication. Treatments such as exercise, that have fewer side effects than medications, are needed. While exercise is effective, not all migraineurs benefit (40% were classified as non-responders in one study), indicating certain aspects should be evaluated. The PURPOSE was to determine if exercise prescribed at a time-of-day in synchrony versus out of synchrony with circadian preference (chronotype) affected responder versus non-responder status when considering monthly migraine load. METHODS: Participants were 7 sedentary individuals who experienced migraines 8+ times per month (age = 34 ± 11 yrs, 167 ± 8 cm, 99 ± 26 kg). The Morningness/Eveningness Questionnaire was completed to determine chronotype. Participants completed one month of exercise (3 x week, 30-min, 60-70% estimated HRmax) in the morning (before 9:00am) or evening (after 7:00pm) in a randomized counterbalanced order, with a two-week washout period. ‘In Sync’ exercise was considered when a morning type exercised in the morning, and an evening type exercised in the evening. ‘Out of Sync’ exercise was considered when a morning type exercised in the evening, and an evening type exercised in the morning. migraine load was determined using the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) and Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) at the beginning and end of each month. Responders were considered as any individual with 10% or greater improvement in scores. Chi squared (c²) analysis was performed and significance accepted at pRESULTS: On the HIT-6 evaluation, 43% of participants were considered ‘responders’ after completing in sync versus out of sync exercise (14% ‘responders’) (c² = 1.4, p = 0.24). Similarly, on the MIDAS evaluation, 57% of participants were considered ‘responders’ after completing in sync exercise, while only 29% of participants completing out of sync exercise were classified as ‘responders’ (c² = 1.16, p = 0.28). CONCLUSION: While no statistical differences were observed, exercise prescriptions that incorporate a participant’s circadian rhythm may be a promising option toward helping chronic migraine sufferers reduce the monthly migraine load.

Recommended Citation

Navalta, James W.; McGinnis, Graham R.; and Malek, Elias M. (2021) "Effect of Exercise in Sync with Circadian Preference on Classification of Response and Non-response in Migraineurs," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 14: Iss. 1, Article 42.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol14/iss1/42