Posted on November 19, 2014 by Jenny Cromack
People who exercise want to get the best results they can and the popular question ‘When is the best time to exercise? is asked often by our personal training clients so they can optimise their results.
The time someone can train completely depends on what they have time to do. Some people have flexibility before work or after work and many people have to fit it in during their lunch break or others have to fit around their families. If you have a structured job with set work hours it becomes easier to fit your gym sessions in as part of your routine each week. However if you work longer or more unpredictable hours flexibility has to be key.
Instinctively the best time to train is whenever you feel most energetic and can fit it into your schedule. Individual differences regarding the best time of day to train come from the fact that each person has slightly different chrono-biology, or circadian rhythms. However, research also suggests that different training techniques would benefit from different training times.
When performing exercise which relies on anaerobic systems, such as strength training, studies suggest strength performance is significantly greater in the mid-afternoon and early evening. This effect is most pronounced in regards to power production, when needing to produce maximal force at a fast speed. Therefore if improving your strength or muscle hypertrophy is your goal you may find you see quicker results from training in the afternoon or early evening.
For individuals focusing on fat loss, there’s evidence that trainees experience a greater afterburn (EPOC) if they work out in the evening around 6 pm. Higher EPOC means the body burns more calories during the recovery period. So if you looking to shift fat then hit the gym in the evening.
Research into the training time for endurance training showed time of day does not matter much for performance, but of course each individuals will have their own experiences.
For sprint training, competing or working out in the mid-afternoon and early evening tend to produce faster times. Greater strength and speed later in the day are likely due to the fact that your body temperature increases as the day progresses, leading to enhanced muscle function and flexibility.
Men’s testosterone is highest in the morning and gradually declines over the course of the day, indicating that for building muscle, morning may be the best time to lift. In addition, the male testosterone response to training appears to be greater in the morning than from training later in the day.
Although it is good to listen to research it is also important to listen to your own body and how it feels a lot of people find training in the morning a perfect time of the day as it it is done and dusted and they can finish work and know they are done for the day. On the other hand people can’t get up so early and train. I would say a lot of peoples preferences fall on their eating routine. In the ideal world you would try and link your food and training to maximise results.
Remember training any time is better than not training at all. So train at a time that suits you and your routine, if you’re fortunate to have the choice of times to train why not experiment and see what time gains you the greatest results.
Reference
Deschenes, Michael. Chronobiological Effects on Exercise. ACSM Current Comment. Retrieved 25 April 2013.http://www.acsm.org/docs/current-comments/chronobiologicaleffectsonexercise.pdf