IL6 and diabetes mellitus: Combined intervention also restored skeletal muscle SOD activity (31.2 ± 2.9 U/mg prot vs. DM 20.1 ± 2.5 U/mg prot, <i>p</i> < 0.05) and reduced serum TNF-α (28.5 ± 4.5 pg/mL vs. DM 65.8 ± 8.5 pg/mL, <i>p</i> < 0.05) and IL-6 (21.6 ± 3.8 pg/mL vs. DM 50.3 ± 7.1 pg/mL, <i>p</i> < 0.05).<h4>Conclusions</h4>TRF + EX additively restores metabolic homeostasis in diabetes by re-entraining circadian energy rhythms, improving mitochondrial quality, and activating adipose thermogenesis, supporting further investigation of integrated lifestyle timing as a potential therapeutic strategy.