Cold exposure impairs the muscle growth-promoting effect of nighttime-restricted feeding by desynchronizing mitochondrial energy supply rhythm in rabbits

Cold exposure disrupts muscle growth by impairing mitochondrial function and clock gene rhythms.

• Feeding time and ambient temperature are significant factors that influence biological rhythms and nutrient distribution in animals.
• Under optimal temperatures, feeding enhances muscle growth by maintaining mitochondrial energy rhythms through clock genes.
• Cold exposure leads to hypothermia and increased glucocorticoids, which activate a specific pathway in skeletal muscle.
• This pathway disruption is associated with impaired mitochondrial function and reduced expression of cell cycle genes.
• The combined effects contribute to decreased muscle growth, highlighting the importance of environmental factors in muscle metabolism.

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