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When Is The Best Time To Workout

When Is The Best Time To Workout


What works better? An evening or morning training? Read the pros and cons of both training moments.

What time do you workout?

It's difficult to answer this question because it differs per person when you can work out the best. Apart from that, there are a number of factors that affect your performance throughout the day. For example, your internal clock affects This affects the hormones that change your performance.

Many people have a 9-to-5-rhythm that trains after dinner. The impact of time on performance is minimal. There are a number of factors that affect this performance. Below is an overview.

Internal clock

Often you hear people blessing that they are not a morning person. In this assertion is a core of truth. People have a different rhythm and do not even perform the same at different times. This difference can be explained by the hormones released and the electrical impulses of your brain. The hormone that significantly affects your internal clock is melatonin. Furthermore, your rhythm is determined by the amount of sunlight. Now that you have the basic knowledge about the internal clock, you wonder how this can affect your training. It turns out that you can manipulate the internal clock by sleeping earlier or later. For example, you can reset your rhythm by getting up early and going out after breakfast. Not everyone will like this, but after a while you will get used to an active morning.

Morning training

Ok, it's something earlier than you used to. Most people still sleep or just roll out a pub. But that's an advantage for you. In the morning, the gym is pretty quiet. Even the benchpress does not have long queues on Monday morning! Additionally, you can do your workout efficiently because there is virtually no distraction from other people. As fitness model Greg Plitt says:

"Nothing is so motivating if you have a workout when others have to start their day."

He has a point; One of the most important milestones of that day are already in your back. You do not have to worry about any work, study or anything else.

Even for your physical performance, early training can be beneficial. By training in the morning, you increase metabolism during the rest of the day, causing you to burn more calories. Light cardio for breakfast even causes you to lose more body fat. Your insulin level is then low and your body burns much more fat . After your morning training, you can start adding stocks and restoring your muscles immediately. If you keep the carbohydrate intake low, morning training is ideal because you do not need extra energy later in the day - at least not for a training session! In addition, your testosterone level is highest in the morning, which naturally provides benefits for your strength training. Testosterone is an important hormone for muscle repair and strengthening.

For beginner power athletes, the morning can be ideal for learning new exercises. Ideal so if you want to start a new schedule and you do not have the finishing touch yet. Many women choose to train in the morning because they have fewer spectators in doing squats and deadlifts for example.

Evening training

Training in the morning has many advantages, but there is also a lot to be said about going to play in the evening. Not only can it be great to "relax" after a long day working or studying, but also because your body temperature is later in the afternoon / evening. This will make you stronger in principle than in the morning. A study from the University of Southern Mississippi showed that subjects who train in the evening (45 minutes of strength and 45 minutes of cardio) gained 3% more muscle mass and lost 4% more body fat than the group of subjects who train in the morning. Although the researchers could not accurately detect the exact cause of this, they suspected that it has to do with the "extra" power that people have later in the day. The pine boundary is also considerably higher in the afternoon / evening . This will cause you to break through plates.

Body temperature

Sports performance has a direct link with body temperature. If you are warmed up, you will get a better performance. The body temperature of people is higher in the evening, and therefore it is easier for many people to play in the evening. In addition, many people suffer from a dip at the end of the afternoon. During the dip it is difficult to get started, but you can get that much needed energy boost. The best time to train is not only determined by your body temperature or your internal clock, but much more important is the type of exercise, your age and your health. If it is much colder in the morning, it may be wise to train in the evening. You are less likely to get injuries and get into a rhythm earlier.

Footballers perform better in the evening

Research shows that soccer players scored better in the evening on tests based on reaction time, flexibility exercises, daring and dribbling . The football players had to perform the exercises at four different times. This showed that they performed worse at 8:00 and 12:00 than the football players who had to perform the exercises between 16:00 and 20:00. The researchers concluded that the optimal time to train for footballers is somewhere between 16:00 and 20:00.

Age, health and gender

Another study, however, shows that older people can better practice in the day. The reason for this may be that older people have a different rhythm than younger people, and generally rise earlier. Furthermore, a jet lag or the menstrual cycle can affect your rhythm and thus your performance.

Hormones: testosterone and cortisol

Strength training aimed at developing muscle mass is most effective in the evening hours. The balance between cortisol and testosterone is most favorable during evening hours. The amount of cortisol is lower during the evening. Cortisol regulates the blood sugar level and the energy supply by breaking muscle mass. This process is also called catabolism. Testosterone does the opposite. It helps build muscle mass through the conversion of proteins. This process is also called anabolism. The cortisol level is highest in the early morning and decreases throughout the day. The amount of testosterone is also the highest in the morning, but decreases slower than the amount of cortisol during the day. Because the amount of testosterone in the evening is relatively higher than the amount of cortisol, it may be more useful for muscle building to train in the evening.

Preparation for a match

When preparing for a match, it is important to include the time of the contest in your training session. If you always train in the evening and the game is during the day, you may be struggling to perform the same because you are not used to delivering an effort at an early stage. Therefore, try to schedule a number of trainings at the same time as your contest.

Important points to train in the morning:


  • In the morning you can walk better, walk or do other cardiovascular training instead of strength training
  • Provide good warming up. Especially in the morning it is important to warm up your body
  • Some people may have trouble training in the early morning because their blood glucose is still low
  • If you are going to work in the morning, make sure that you eat a minimum of 30 minutes before the effort to prevent muscle degradation.

Important points to train in the evening:


  • In the evenings, sporting performance is generally better in fitness sports and strength training.
  • If you train too late, it may be difficult to properly supplement your glycogen stocks. Furthermore, a late sports session may confuse your sleep pattern.
  • The best is a combination of both, for example, cardiovascular training in the morning and strength training in the evening hours.

Conclusion

Ultimately, you really need to do what you are comfortable with and what fits your lifestyle. The best time to train is not only determined by your body temperature or your internal clock, but much more important is the type of exercise, your age and your health. Not everybody is a morning person and not everyone comes to life just in the evening. For beginners, rhythm is very important. You can not afford to miss regular workouts. If you really want to achieve something, training should eventually become a part of your life. Both moments have their advantages. My personal preference is to train in the morning.

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