Time to work out – literally! Morning workouts boost alertness, while afternoon sessions enhance performance, and night-time exercise might not ruin your sleep. Here’s what science says about when to hit the gym for the best results.
In our fast-paced Asian society today, it is hard to find time to work out. Excelling in our careers, making time for friends and family, and still finding time to rest, it can be daunting to squeeze in workouts.
And while exercising at any time is better than not exercising at all, what if exercising at certain times of the day will be the most efficient to maximise our fitness goals?
Here’s a look at the science behind working out at different times of the day
Working out in the morning
In 2019, a study compared participants with or without a morning bout of exercise and found that morning exercise improved attention, visual learning, and decision-making throughout the day. If you find yourself fighting a ravenous appetite throughout the day, you may also be delighted to hear this: Research has shown that 45 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise in the morning may actually reduce your motivation for food. The appetite-suppressing effects of morning workouts may bring you closer to your weight-loss goals.
Morning exercise was even shown to help increase overall physical activity throughout the day – making it easier for you to build an active lifestyle.
In most people, cortisol levels are highest in the morning when they wake up. Cortisol, our ‘‘stress’’ hormone, is associated with the stimulation of fat and carbohydrate metabolism, providing your body with the energy for the day. Having a higher cortisol level and hence metabolism would be ideal if you are looking to burn fat and lose weight. The increased feelings of alertness that higher cortisol levels bring means that you may even have a better workout at this time!
However, as a catabolic hormone, cortisol actually inhibits protein synthesis. This can result in the loss of skeletal muscle. That is the last thing you want if you are looking to gain muscle mass.
Working out in the afternoon and evening
A study looking at participants at risk for or diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who exercised in the afternoon experienced more metabolic benefits, and more positive effects on their exercise performance and fat mass, when compared to participants who exercised in the morning.
The reason why was not elucidated from the study. However, there are some suggestions. As the day passes, you may have eaten some food that can help to fuel your afternoon workout. Also, the core body temperature rises throughout the day, which can influence muscular performance.
Research suggests that one may have greater muscle activation and force output in the evening versus in the morning. Maximal exercise performance is also measured to be higher in the late afternoon to evening when compared to the morning. You could exercise 20% harder and longer in the evening versus morning hours!
If you’re looking for better athletic performance, maybe you will want to give an afternoon workout a shot.
Working out before sleep
A common belief is that working out before you sleep may disrupt your rest. If it is the only time of the day you are free, should you just forgo exercise altogether? After all, ample sleep is important for our health too, and should not be disregarded.
This belief was based on the idea that exercise is a stimulating activity. This means it can raise the core body temperature and heart rate. This makes it difficult to wind down to rest at night.
A 2011 study revealed that subjects slept just as well on nights when they exercised for 35 minutes right before bed, as they did on nights when they didn’t exercise at all. This suggested that late-night exercise does not necessarily disturb sleep quality.
It supports another study that found that exercising at night (where levels of melatonin, our sleep hormone, is high) can further increase already high melatonin levels. This increased melatonin level means an increased sleep pressure, which potentially helps you fall asleep more quickly.
So you have no time in the morning, can’t squeeze in a lunchtime workout, and too busy in the evenings after work? Try working out at night.
To prepare for a good night’s rest, you can choose to perform low-to-moderate intensity workouts. After which, consider winding down with a cold shower to lower your core body temperature for better rest.
Is there really a best time to workout?
Well, who knows!
Practice makes perfect – and there is research to prove it. Your body can adapt to the time of day you usually exercise and make great improvements in terms of exercise performance. Even if there is a usual dip in performance for anaerobic exercises in the morning and a peak in the afternoon, regular morning exercise can bring that performance up to the same or even greater levels than late-afternoon exercise.
If you are just starting out, scheduling exercise for the same time every day can help to turn it into a habit. In time to come, this can improve your exercise performance consistently! Getting enough exercise is more important than trying to exercise at exactly the right time. Make sure you find a time to workout that fits your lifestyle, and is something that you can commit to.
Last tips!
Whether you work out in the morning or afternoon or night, remember to:
- Stay consistent to reap the benefits of exercise
- Warm up those muscles before activity
- Cool down your body before sleep
Happy exercising!
