What’s the Best Time of Day to Exercise

By Dr. Neeraj Mehta

Although both morning and evening exercise has benefits and drawbacks, the best time to exercise depends on how you feel and how it fits into your daily schedule. The best workout is the one that happens. You know your schedule. Are you a morning or night owl? Do you work a 9-5 or a night shift?

First and foremost, we must understand how our bodies function over the course of a 24-hour day in order to appreciate the importance of workout timing. Our biological clock has an impact on our sleep patterns, eating habits, blood pressure, and core body temperature, among other things. These “circadian rhythms” have been found to be associated with a wide range of physical performance, health, and well-being factors.

Endorphins, or “happy hormones,” created by your body in reaction to exercise can keep your mood boosted even after an hour-long workout. The sense of success you get after a workout might also help you stay happy for the rest of the day if you finish your workout in the morning.

BUT…You may, however, encounter:

You may be about to run out of FUEL: You may be hungry throughout your workout if you didn’t eat enough the night before.

Lack of physical ability: Most people don’t wake up bouncy and energized. You may feel stiffness and inflexibility in your joints.

Warm-up takes longer: Warm-ups are why you may not feel strong or powerful in the morning: Your body’s core temperature falls.

But there are Morning workouts advantages:

Morning workouts may help establish strong self-control.
A Morning Exercise Routine Can Help You Sleep Better
A Morning Workout Routine Can Help Build Consistency.
Morning workouts have been shown to increase metabolism.
The weights must not be too heavy to lift on an empty stomach.

ON the other hand for the exercise timing in the evening: Studies show that most people perform better later in the day. Evenings are better for muscle strength, flexibility, power generation, and endurance than mornings. Also, people who workout late at night take up to 20% longer to weary.

You get hotter as the day goes on: Afternoon and evening workouts may be easier for some people to get into because their core temperature is higher. But keep warming up!

The body produces more testosterone after afternoon workouts than morning workouts, resulting in increased strength and muscle mass.

Anxiety-relieving activity at night: Exercise is a great way to de-stress, but doing out late at night is more effective. Endorphins released during and after exercise may act as a relaxing nightcap.

However, some studies have found that evening exercise is more beneficial than morning exercise, with one research finding a substantial increase in peak muscular power in well-trained cyclists when they exercised after work in the evening rather than in the morning. Some studies found no differences in muscular anaerobic performance dependent on the time of day in a similar investigation, whilst others found significant differences.

Now see according to the research & different studies:

According to a recent study, morning exercise may activate key genes in muscle cells, boosting their ability to metabolize sugar and fat. While more research is needed, scientists believe this discovery will eventually assist people who are overweight or have Type 2 diabetes. in addition to hormonal adaptation.

Evening workouts, on the other hand, use less oxygen, resulting in more efficient workouts and better athletic performance, which could be a boon for serious athletes.

So, is it better to exercise in the morning or evening? Your goals decide it.

Athletes that want a competitive edge may opt to train or compete at night. Also, if you’re planning a big sporting event, try scheduling it at night.

But the morning is preferably best, when post-workout cell reactions that regulate metabolism are strongest, for those who worry more about their weight and blood sugar control than their marathon time.

While both morning and evening workouts have data to support them, it is generally believed that the ideal method is to select the time that works best for you and your long-term fitness ambitions- Dr. Neeraj Mehta (Director: GFFI Fitness Academy)

Some useful links for the same topic:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5481716/

https://www.cnet.com/health/fitness/when-should-you-exercise-morning-afternoon-or-night/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/whats-the-best-time-of-day-to-exercise-morning-or-evening/2019/07/19/b202a674-9f50-11e9-9ed4-c9089972ad5a_story.html

https://www.shape.com/fitness/tips/which-better-am-vs-pm-workouts