What’s the Best Time of Day to Exercise?

Physical activity at the proper time of day appears to enhance fat metabolism in mice.

Highlights:

The quantity of fat burned by exercise may be affected by the time of day
Physical activity has numerous health benefits for the heart, body, and mind
Late-morning //exercises are much more efficient among mice

Physical activity at different times of the day can have varied effects on the body since biological processes rely on the circadian rhythms of the cells.

With our hectic schedules, it can be difficult to fit in a workout when we're managing a professional and social life, or even binge-watching our favorite Netflix show, even though we know they're important for our health and well-being.

However, it may be beneficial to know that when it comes to hitting the gym, exercising at specific times might enhance our fitness goals.

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet and the University of Copenhagen studied the adipose tissue of mice after a session of high-intensity exercise performed at two points of the daily cycle, an early active phase and an early rest phase, to see how the time of day affects fat burning (corresponding to late morning and late evening session, respectively, in humans) ().

The researchers looked at numerous fat metabolism markers and which genes were activated in adipose tissue after exercise.

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Regular exercises is the key to keep our fat at bay.

‘The best time of day to exercise is a long-standing question, and now a new study suggests that late morning exercise is much more efficient.’

Irrespective of Food Consumption

Physical activity during the early active phase enhanced the expression of genes involved in adipose tissue breakdown, thermogenesis (heat production), and mitochondria in the adipose tissue, indicating a greater metabolic rate. These effects were only shown in mice that exercised during the early active period and were unrelated to food consumption. Mice that exercised during an early active phase, which corresponds to morning activity in humans, raised their metabolism more than mice that exercised during a rest period.

"Our results suggest that late morning exercise could be more effective than late evening exercise in terms of boosting the metabolism and the burning of fat, and if this is the case, they could prove of value to people who are overweight," says Professor Juleen R. Zierath from the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery and the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet.

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Boost the Health Benefits of Physical Activity

Many basic physiological functions are shared by mice and humans, and mice are a well-established model for human physiology and metabolism. There are, however, significant differences, such as the fact that mice are nocturnal.

"The right timing seems to be important to the body’s energy balance and to improving the health benefits of exercise, but more studies are needed to draw any reliable conclusions about the relevance of our findings to humans," says Professor Zierath.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR) at the University of Copenhagen collaborated on the study, which was funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Novo Nordisk, the Swedish Diabetes Foundation, the Swedish Research Council, and Karolinska Institutet.

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The Benefits of Morning Exercise on Humans

There are numerous logistical advantages to working out in the morning.

First and foremost, you'll complete your workout before beginning your day. That means you'll start your day with endorphins and a nice feeling, knowing you did something before 9 a.m. that some people won't do all day, and that's a great confidence booster.

You will also not have to worry about working out later in the afternoon or evening. This might be a relief because it frees up time for making dinner, chatting with friends, and simply resting.

Morning exercise has been shown in studies to be beneficial. A study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise looked at how women felt after working out first thing in the morning.

When the participants—those with healthy body weights and those with obesity—walked briskly for 45 minutes, they were less captivated by photographs of delicious-looking food than when they did not exercise at all.

Adding to this early activity, participants who exercised in the morning increased their physical activity throughout the day more than those who did not exercise in the morning.

Other advantages of going to the gym in the morning include an enhanced metabolism, which means you'll burn calories throughout the day as you eat them rather than only at night while you sleep.

What are some other reasons to exercise first thing in the morning? According to research, increasing your physical routine in the evening may interfere with your sleep. Exercise raises both your heart rate and your body temperature. That suggests that late-night sweat sessions may be interfering with your ability to sleep. Working out at 7 a.m., as opposed to later in the afternoon or evening, has been demonstrated in studies to help people achieve more quality sleep at night ().

If you need another reason to get out, the first thing you should know in the morning is that working out on an empty stomach may help you burn more fat. When going to the gym on an empty stomach, exercisers might burn up to 20% more body fat. This is a far more feasible goal in the morning, before breakfast than after a full day of eating regularly!

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The Argument for Sweating in the Afternoon or at Night

While it may appear that working out in the morning is the best time, exercising in the afternoon or after hours has demonstrated benefits. If you plan an evening workout, you might get some additional sleep in the morning. But there are other advantages!

According to one study, your body's ability to function peaks in the afternoon. Throughout the day, your body temperature rises, improving muscle function and strength, enzyme activity, and endurance for performance ().

Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., your body temperature is at its highest. This may imply that you will be exercising when your body is at its most prepared, thus making it the most effective time of day to work out.

Furthermore, the kinetics of oxygen uptake is faster in the evening, implying that you use your resources more slowly and effectively than in the morning. Working out in the morning may also necessitate an additional warm-up, which may detract from the focus of your activity.

The argument for working out in the afternoon and evening persists. Your reaction time is at its fastest in the afternoon and evening, which is useful for activities like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or treadmill speed work. Late afternoon is also when your heart rate and blood pressure are at their lowest, lowering your risk of injury while enhancing performance.

While some may warn that working out at night can interfere with sleep, one study revealed that people who lifted weights in the evening slept better and for longer than those who completed the same workout in the morning.

The Decision

When is the greatest time to exercise? While science and studies appear to be conflicting, one thing is certain: working out is important at any time of day.

What matters most is that you choose a time of day that works for you and your schedule and then stick to it. You could make more training gains if you maintain your workout routine and do it at the same time every day. Isn't that the most important thing?

References:

Time of day determines postexercise metabolism in mouse adipose tissue - (https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2218510120)
Neural response to pictures of food after exercise in normal-weight and obese women - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22617393/)
Different effects of heat exposure upon exercise performance in the morning and afternoon - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21029194/)

Source-Medindia