Is it better to workout in the morning or at night?
When it comes to the gym, are you an early riser, a night owl, or part of the lunch bunch?
Does the thought of waking up to workout before rest of the world is awake totally excite you — or does it make you want to press the snooze button 10 more times?
Have you ever wondered what time of day is best for you to exercise? Well then, read on!
The science behind morning vs night workouts
Each month I enjoy catching up on my subscription to MASS, Monthly Applications in Strength Sport. I try to stay current on what science tells us about food and lifting so I can best serve you! MASS authors provide extensive research reviews on the most up-to-date studies related to nutrition and training, and they recently reviewed a 2022 study about workout timing.
Here are a few key points from their review that I would like to share:
This 15-week study was pretty small, with 33 participants between the ages of 18-56 and having obesity with a BMI of 25-40.
Morning workouts occurred between 6am and 10am, and evening workouts occurred between 3pm-7pm.
Workout difficult increased gradually over the course of the 15 weeks.
The morning group tended to sleep a little bit less, and went to sleep a little earlier on average.
The evening group tended to get a little more sleep and went to sleep a little later on average.
The evening group saw a slightly larger amount of energy expenditure (calorie burn), but there were no major differences in body composition changes between the a.m. and p.m. groups.
Over the years, there have been other studies that show that some people might notice a slight dip in strength when first working out in the morning, but it will probably only be temporary as your body adapts.
Overall enjoyment and perceived level of effort might make morning workouts preferable for some than others.
When is the best time to workout?
So with all of this, when is the best time of day for YOU to workout? The answer might surprise you!
Ultimately it probably doesn’t make all that much of a difference if you exercise in the a.m. or p.m. What does matter most is that you exercise when you can be most consistent and enjoy your gym time.
Personally I like to knock it out at the very beginning of the day if I can, but I typically feel strongest around the late morning timeframe. You will almost never catch me lifting after lunch! It is just too late for me. ;)
What time of day do you most prefer to workout? Leave a comment and let me know!