Working Out in the Morning is Best for Stress, Not Muscle Size, Report Says

September 17, 2015
By Alex Keown, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff

CHICAGO – A good workout has a lot of great health benefits including weight loss, building muscles and staving off some medical issues. But, the timing of your workout also has benefits, a new Medical Daily report says.

Timing your workout depends on what your fitness goals are, the report shows. Whether you’re looking to shed some pounds, build muscle or reduce the levels of stress you carry, what time you hit the gym (or wherever you might work out) has different levels of impact.

Mornings
A morning workout routine is better if you’re looking at shedding those extra pounds. Hitting the gym before you hit the breakfast table allows you to achieve greater weight loss because the body is able to burn a greater percentage of fat for energy, according to a 2010 study published in the “Journal of Physiology.” Morning workouts “prime the body for an all-day fat burn,” Medical Daily reported. In addition to more easily attained weight loss goals, morning workouts also allow for improvements in sleep patterns and a reduction of stress. Studies showed that those who worked out consistently in the morning showed a reduction in blood pressure levels. Those who worked out in the morning on a consistent basis also achieved up to 75 percent more time in the deepest sleep cycles, the report said.

Afternoons
Afternoon workouts also have their benefits. Consistent afternoon workouts allow individuals to boost their own performance in their work. Afternoon workouts tend to deliver an energy boost, which allows individuals to have greater focus on important tasks.

Evenings
Hitting the gym in the evening also has great benefits, especially if you’re looking to build muscle. The body’s muscles tend to be weaker during the morning and gradually increase in strength throughout the day. The body’s muscles achieve peak strength in the early evening. A 2009 study in the “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” observed different groups of men who worked out at different times of day for a period of several months. At the end of the study, those who worked out in the late afternoon and early evenings gained higher muscle mass than those who worked out in the mornings. According to Medical Daily, the findings supported a phenomenon known as temporal specificity, “in which muscular strength adapts to be at its strongest at the time of the day the training occurred.”

Whatever time of day one works out, the Medical Daily report stresses that consistency is the key in achieving the maximum benefits of your workout. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests people engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week and muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week. The CDC also stresses that not only is the exercise important, but maintaining a good diet is also essential to your overall health.