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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

If you're one of Australia's 1.4 million shiftworkers, eating at irregular times is just par for the course -- but have you ever stopped to think about the impact this might have on your body?

In a new research study by the University of South Australia, researchers have investigated whether altering food intake during the nightshift could optimise how shiftworkers feel during the night and reduce their sleepiness.

Testing the impact of either a snack, a meal, or no food at all, the study found that a simple snack was the best choice for maximising alertness and productivity.

Lead researcher and UniSA PhD candidate Charlotte Gupta says the finding has the potential to help thousands of shiftworkers who work during the night.

"In today's 24/7 economy, working the nightshift is increasingly common, with many industries -- health care, aviation, transport and mining -- requiring employees to work around the clock," Gupta says.

"As a nightshift worker, finding ways to manage your alertness when your body is naturally primed for sleep can be really challenging.

"We know that many nightshift workers eat on-shift to help them stay awake, but until now, no research has shown whether this is good or bad for their health and performance.

"This is the first study to investigate how workers feel and perform after eating different amounts of food.

"The findings will inform the most strategic eating patterns on-shift and can hopefully contribute to more alert and better performing workers."

Charlotte C Gupta, et. al. Subjective Hunger, Gastric Upset, and Sleepiness in Response to Altered Meal Timing during Simulated Shiftwork. Nutrients, 2019; 11 (6): 1352 DOI: 10.3390/nu11061352

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