Morning vs evening exercise: one is better for losing weight, the other for performance
- Working out at night and during the day has different effects on the body, according to recent scientific studies
- A morning workout boosts the metabolism of sugar and fat, and may aid weight control, while exercising at night uses less energy and oxygen so you can do more
Some people are morning exercisers. For them, an early run or swim is as much a part of their wake-up ritual as that first cup of coffee. Others can’t abide the idea. They need a nighttime workout to rid themselves of the day’s stresses.
Does it make a difference? Several recent studies suggest that it does. But it’s complicated.
One recent paper indicates that morning exercise may activate certain genes in the muscle cells, boosting their ability to metabolise sugar and fat. While scientists say this finding requires further study, they think it ultimately might help those who are overweight or suffering from type 2 diabetes.
An evening workout, on the other hand, uses less oxygen, making workouts more efficient and improving athletic performance, potentially a boon for serious competitors.
“Human exercise performance is better in the evening than the morning, as (athletes) consume less oxygen, that is, they use less energy, for the same intensity of exercise in the evening versus the morning,” says Gad Asher, a researcher in the Weizmann Institute of Science’s department of biomolecular sciences, and author of one of the studies.