Obesity drives temporally distinct physical activity disruptions in mice under a fixed 24-h light-dark cycle.

Abstract

24-h cycles regulate activity and feeding behavior, and obesity and metabolic dysfunction may disrupt such rhythms. Here, using a fixed 24-h light-dark cycle, we investigate sex-specific diurnal physical activity patterns in obese and normal weight mice. We observe that feeding behavior aligns with a mid-dark cycle activity peak. Using passive home cage monitoring and operant feeding tasks, we demonstrate that male and female mice exhibit distinct temporal activity profiles, particularly during the late dark cycle. Diet-induced obesity selectively suppressed mid-dark cycle activity, a temporal window linked to peak food-seeking behavior. These findings highlight temporal disruptions to physical activity in a rodent model of diet-induced obesity and offer insights into potential interactions between feeding behavior and 24 physical activity patterns.