Workout for the Best Outcomes

Setting the training at a specific time of day is a bigger difficulty than it first appears. There are other considerations that influence when we train.

It is immediately apparent that we cannot take into account the three hours following each large meal because this time must be exclusively used for digesting. Significant physical effort is not at all advised at this time (blood must not be directed to the muscles, since gastric digestion has priority).

More specifically, people should exercise on an empty stomach, but their glycemia level must remain consistent. While taking into account a typical awake-sleep cycle, there are two suitable times to create fitness regimens and training in general: One between the hours of 10 and 12 in the morning, and the other between 16 and 19 in the late afternoon.

These times are the best for training, according to current practice in the majority of sports.

The body temperature, which is now at its peak, is another justification for selecting one of these intervals for training. From this perspective, the second session (16-19) is even better than the first because the increasing warmth improves athletic performance.

Early morning training, just after waking up and before breakfast, is not advised. Yet, other authors are in favor of holding the training during this time.

Because of the restricted glycogen stores following the lack of food during sleep, adipose tissue is used earlier in training than in other circumstances.

Sadly, cortisone, a stress hormone, is also released in large amounts at the same time, increasing the danger of losing valuable muscle tissue in addition to adipose tissue.

The fact that body temperature is so low in the early morning hours that none of the motion factors (force, resistance, speed, mobility, skill) can be completely active is another evidence against this. Hence, a lengthy and taxing warm-up would be required, which would interfere with the real training.

Everyone is in agreement that exercising right before bed is never a good idea because it causes sleep to be delayed by a few hours due to increases in cerebral activity and body temperature.

Each biorhythm and time zone may be accommodated by this program, and once automatism is set, training efficacy will undoubtedly rise.