When is the best time to train - in the morning or in the evening

For muscle building

Evening exercise helps build muscle faster than morning exercises. Moreover, the higher the training of a person, the greater the effect will be. For example, in one study, evening sessions provided experienced bodybuilders with 3.2% gains in muscle mass, while the same exercise in the morning only increased muscle mass by 0.6%.

Perhaps this difference is due to fluctuations in hormone levels throughout the day.

For muscle building, the amount of the male sex hormone testosterone and the "stress hormone" cortisol are essential. The first has a positive effect on muscle growth and fat burning, the second promotes the accumulation of fat stores and muscle breakdown.

Testosterone production rises at night and peaks in the morning. Then the level of the hormone gradually decreases, rises slightly at 16-18 hours, and then falls again, down to the lowest values at nine in the evening.

And it would seem that since his level is highest in the morning, you have to train at dawn. But don't forget about cortisol. Its amount increases after midnight and peaks at around 8 am and then gradually decreases.

As a result, the most favorable ratio of testosterone to cortisol is observed at those very 16-18 hours: at this time, the male sex hormone, as mentioned earlier, rises slightly, and the stress hormone is at a low level. In addition, the activity of insulin-like growth factor (IGF), another anabolic hormone that helps to increase muscle mass, is high in the evening.

Perhaps that is why, after training in the afternoon, more intense anabolic signals in the muscles are noted than after training in the morning.

To increase strength

Although muscle size and strength are, these indicators are directly related. After an evening workout, not only will your muscles grow faster, but so will your strength training achievements. The fact is that at this time, the strength,,, power and level of muscle activation increases - the body's ability to use more fibers during exercise. As a result, working weights grow faster than after morning exercises.

This can in part be explained by the difference in body temperature that changes during the day.

In the mornings it is about 36, 6 ° C, then gradually rises and reaches a peak at 18-21 hours. Then it begins to fall and drops to its lowest values at 3 am. The higher your body temperature, the softer and more elastic your muscles. It is easier for you to warm up before exercising, and during the workout the fibers work more powerfully and efficiently.

However, body temperature and muscle readiness for exercise can be increased before morning exercises. For example, if you drink coffee. One study found that 250 milligrams of caffeine provided the same neuromuscular alertness in the morning as before an evening decaf workout.

To improve endurance

While strength training is best done in the evening, research data is mixed regarding aerobic endurance exercise. Some scientific papers show increased productivity in the morning, others show better results from evening sessions.

In general, it can be said that it doesn't really matter when you run, swim, or do other aerobic work. The main thing is to do it at about the same time. Compliance with the regime induces adaptation of the organism and increases its productivity at the usual time for training.

Slimming

Morning workouts help you metabolize fat and sugar more efficiently throughout the day and increase fat oxidation. In other words, after them, your body will better cope with incoming calories and store less. At the same time, evening workouts burn more calories than morning sessions with the same intensity, so it's hard to say what will help you lose fat faster.

However, if you look at the problem of losing weight in general, training in the morning is still more effective due to the effect on eating behavior.

Several studies have shown that morning exercises help control appetite and choose healthier food, as well as increase physical activity during the day. And since proper nutrition and overall physical activity often matter more than exercise, anyone who's losing weight should really start their day with exercise.

For better health

Besides weight loss, morning workouts provide several other health benefits:

Increase the capabilities of the brain.30 minutes of light activity in the morning, along with three-minute breaks during the working day, improve working memory and executive brain functions, as well as increase levels of BDNF, a protein that stimulates and supports the development of neurons and glial cells.
Reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease. After a few weeks of morning exercise, sleep blood pressure decreases, which is a good indicator of heart health.
Reduces the risk of hypoglycemia in type I diabetics. Low cortisol levels in the evening reduce gluconeogenesis and the body's response to glucagon, which increases the likelihood of hypoglycemia during and after exercise. Exercising in the morning with high cortisol does not have these effects, which reduces the risk of a dangerous drop in blood sugar levels.

At the same time, it must be said that regular physical activity at any time of the day will have a positive effect on weight, health and muscle mass. So the choice of training schedule primarily depends on your capabilities and preferences.

If you are used to working with a barbell in the morning, and after a work shift you feel like a squeezed lemon, you should not change the regime just because evening classes provide a slightly greater increase in strength and muscle mass. The same goes for training in the afternoon. If you like to run at this particular time, and in the morning you feel like a sack and suffer every kilometer (like me), you shouldn't turn classes into torture.

Another thing is to add after waking up a small exercise like the HIIT complex for 15–20 minutes in order to better concentrate and choose a healthy diet throughout the day.