Early morning workouts upregulate the gene expression responsible for metabolism.
When is best to workout?
When it comes to gym sessions and workouts, there tends to be a split between those who workout first thing in the morning and those who workout in the evening. There is evidence that working out in the evening aids quicker sleep, as long as you’re in the shower at least an hour before bedtime.
Moreover, the British Medical Journal reports, “Performing bodyweight resistance exercise activity breaks in the evening has the potential to improve sleep period and total sleep time and does not disrupt other aspects of sleep quality.”
However, when it comes to the best time to workout for fat burning and weight management, the first half of the day has been proven to have the edge.
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Morning workouts break down more fat
In a 2023 study by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, researchers studied various markers for fat metabolism in mice. The mice that did physical activity in the equivalent of our human morning, increased their metabolism more than those who exercised at a time when they usually rest. The ‘morning mice’ also displayed escalated gene expression of genes involved in the breakdown of body fat tissue, as well as increases in both the number and productivity of mitochondria (the battery packs of cells). Therefore, drawing the conclusion that timing is indeed, important in improving the health benefits of exercise.
Further research published in the same year, in The Journal Of The Obesity, focused on the diurnal pattern between moderate to vigorous physical activity and obesity (MVPA). The team investigated the optimal time of day for exercise in weight management and concluded that 7am - 9am to be the most favorable time of day to enhance the association between MVPA and obesity. Thus proving morning exercise to have a positive, obesity protective impact on those who are sedentary for the rest of the day.Optimal physical performance is a cumulative lifestyle effort
The importance of exercise on long-term health
There are plenty more reasons to workout than physical appearance. Resistance training, HIIT workouts, walking and swimming are proven to be great exercises to combat inflammaging and arguably paramount to all, our long-term health.
On a molecular level, all organs operate better following physical exercise, with one mass MIT and Harvard study discovering the most extreme changes occur in the adrenal gland, which produces hormones that regulate many important processes such as immunity, metabolism, and blood pressure.
Exercise is fundamental to both our longevity and mental health, so perhaps more prudent is to make sure we keep active, rather than obsessing over the time of day. Still, now there is proof positive that early morning workouts are an all-round excellent way to start the day.
