New research could help you get the most out of your workout: Scientists studied the long-term health of people with obesity and found that those who exercised in the evening were least likely to suffer from cardiovascular problems compared to non-exercisers those who trained at other times died.
There was one there long-standing debate about whether physical activity may be more beneficial at certain times of the day. Our bodies have an internal clock or circadian rhythm that subtly influences our mood, metabolism, body temperature and many other things. Therefore, it is plausible that timing can influence the progress we make through exercise. However, the scientific verdict is mixed. While many studies suggest that exercise from afternoon to evening seems to be better overall, there are also others that support the added value of a Morning routine.
This new study was led by researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia, who had access to data from the UK Biobank, a large research project that has tracked the health of UK residents for many years. The team focused on a subset of about 30,000 obese volunteers over the age of 40 who had no pre-existing cardiovascular disease. As part of the original study, these volunteers agreed to wear activity trackers for a week.
They used these measurements as a proxy for people’s typical levels of physical activity. They identified people who engaged in moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity (defined as bouts of intense physical activity lasting at least three minutes each), and then divided these volunteers into those who tended to exercise in the morning, afternoon, or evening ( after 6 p.m.). As a baseline reference, they used people who barely exercised, meaning they did, on average, less than one bout of intense physical activity per day.
The volunteers were followed for an average of almost eight years. Compared to baseline without exercise, and taking into account other factors such as age or smoking history, people who exercised in the morning or afternoon still fared better, according to the researchers. Ultimately, however, evening athletes had the lowest risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and generally dying. And the same pattern held true when researchers examined only the subset of people with type 2 diabetes.
The results, published in the journal Diabetes Care is still observational, meaning it cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship between evening exercise and better health. And as the study itself shows, regular exercise is good for your heart and your health, no matter when. Some current research also pointed out that exercise in the morning could have its own unique benefits, such as better fat burning. However, the authors say their findings, if further confirmed, could help those looking to optimize their cardio routine, especially if they live with obesity or diabetes. “The timing of physical activity may play a role in the future of obesity and T2D treatment,” they wrote.