While not many may consider whether there is a distinction between training in the morning versus the evening, does the timing truly impact your training?
This article presents an answer derived from an experiment conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Before starting
The most important thing is to make sure you get your training in and fit it into your schedule. You don't have to train at a specific time. It's not worth changing your routine if it's not something you can stick with. That might make you lose motivation, mess up your good training routine, or lead to not getting enough sleep. Also, remember that the data is just from experiments, so it might not work the same way for everyone.
This blog aims to provide information on whether there's a real difference between exercising in the morning and evening.
The experiment
In the experiment, participants were split into two groups: one for morning training (between 6:00-8:00) and another for evening training (between 18:30-20:30). The total number of participants was 56, with 30 men aged 38-56 and 26 women aged 33-51
The training sessions were categorized under "RISE," representing Resistance training, Internal sprints, Stretching, and Endurance training. These categories were distributed across four days a week, dedicating one day to each type of training. The entire experiment spanned 12 weeks, during which all training sessions were closely monitored. To ensure consistency, all participants adhered to the same diet plan, eliminating its potential influence on the final results.
The results
After the 12 weeks in which the experiment ran, the results were divided into 3 groups:
- Health
- Body composition
- Performance
Based on these divisions, an answer for the women and an answer for the men came respectively.
HEALTH
Exercising in the morning resulted in improved blood pressure for women, while evening workouts generally led to better mood and a greater sense of satiety.
For men, there was no discernible benefit to exercising in the morning. Conversely, a more pronounced reduction in systolic blood pressure (the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts) was observed in the evening, accompanied by a reduced sense of exhaustion.
BODY COMPOSITION
In the case of women, there was a notable increase in fat burning in the morning, particularly in the abdominal area. However, there were no discernible benefits to exercising in the evening concerning their body composition.
On the contrary, for men, no advantages were observed from morning training. Instead, there was an enhancement in fat oxidation in the evening. This implies an improvement in the body's ability to break down fatty acids, thereby producing more energy.
PERFORMANCE
In the morning, women experienced enhanced "lower body muscle power," as measured in squat jumps. In the evening, improvements were noted in "upper body muscle strength," "upper body muscle power," and "upper body muscle endurance," indicating overall gains in upper body performance.
For men, there was no difference in performance between training in the morning and training in the evening.
It's important to note that both groups, regardless of training time, experienced improvements. The times at which the improvements were measured only highlighted the distinctions between the two groups and where a more significant difference was observed concerning training in the morning versus the evening.
"Also read: How many repetitions/reps are best for your training?"
Conclusion
The experiment suggests that there are distinct advantages to training in the morning or evening, with a generally more pronounced difference observed for women.
Whether you should adjust your schedule to capitalize on these benefits depends on your flexibility and personal preference for the optimal training time. The key consideration is consistency—regular training is more crucial than overhauling your entire life and schedule to accommodate morning or evening workouts. It's essential to find a routine that aligns with your lifestyle and ensures a sustainable, long-term commitment to training.
What time do you train?
Sources:
National Center for Biotechnology Information
PictureFit - Morning vs Evening Workout | New Data Changes Things Up