Body physiology follows the daily rhythm driven by the circadian system, which underlies the emerging concept of chrono-medicine. In this issue, Chen et al. report that feeding timing modulates adipocyte AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) α2 signaling to enhance exercise performance in mice, paving the way for chronotherapeutic approaches of AMPK activators such as metformin.

Refers to : Chen J, Xiang J, Zhou M, Huang R, Zhang J, Cui Y, Jiang X, Li Y, Zhou R, Xin H, Li J, Li L, Lam SM, Zhu J, Chen Y, Yang Q, Xie Z, Shui G, Deng F, Zhang Z, Li MD. Dietary timing enhances exercise by modulating fat-muscle crosstalk via adipocyte AMPKα2 signaling. Cell Metab. 2025 Jun 3;37(6):1364-1380.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2025.02.007. Epub 2025 Mar 14. PMID: 40088888.