At what time of day do you train effectively?
The time is of secondary importance. Continuity is the most important thing for successful training, weight loss, muscle building and endurance. Stick with it and train regularly. Experienced fitness trainers recommend at least two to four training days per week. Anything more than that will undoubtedly help you just as much. If you train less often, you won't develop a rhythm, your body will have a hard time getting used to the processes and it will change even less. Only those who train regularly will see long-term success.
Now a few words about the ideal time of day. Does it even exist? Do you already have a set routine and train every morning after breakfast, for example? Perfect, then keep it up. You have a rhythm and train regularly - it can hardly be better.
Since you tend to move more in the late afternoon/early evening, your muscles' temperature reaches its maximum around that time. However, you can reach this state at any time of day as long as you warm up properly before training. But your living conditions are also crucial for effective training. Are you under a lot of stress, do you not sleep well at night, are there problems that are currently affecting you psychologically? All of this plays a factor when you do sport.
Several studies confirm that exercising in the evening does not prevent you from sleeping well. In fact, it was found that some subjects were able to sleep faster and more deeply after exercising in the evening than those who did not exercise in the evening.
Worth knowing for all diabetics:
An Australian study by the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne found that overweight men with type 2 diabetes between the ages of 30 and 45 were able to significantly reduce their nighttime blood sugar levels by exercising in the evening before going to bed.
After 5 days of supervised training with a high-fat diet, the subjects' metabolic parameters improved significantly. A positive development in fat and amino acid metabolism was noted, with lower cholesterol and triglycerides. In addition, fasting blood sugar improved, which, according to Prof. John Hawley (director of the institute), was particularly favored by the influence of night-time glucose levels.
Source: https://www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/news/2021/may/evening-is-the-best-time-of-day-to-exercise-for-glycaemic-control-acu-study
And now the respective advantages summarized:
In the morning:
- If you train in the morning, you will be full of energy and can start the day full of power.
- If you train in a gym, you usually have a lot of space and a free choice of equipment, as it is rarely busy there early in the morning.
- How about a round of strength training? Let's go, because your testosterone levels are highest in the morning. This means that you will build more muscle.
At evening:
- As we already know, muscle temperature is highest in the late afternoon/early evening, which increases performance.
- If you've had a stressful day, this evening workout will help you relax and relieve stress.
- You have more time to recover after training.
But in the end, everyone has to decide for themselves when they want to train. If you find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, it's better to choose a later time for your training. Don't let your bed become your daily excuse. ;)