Real Talk: What is the best time to exercise? 

Is it better to work out in the morning or in the evening? A new study has found the best time to really optimise the benefits of exercise, and to regulate blood sugar levels. 

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What is the best time of day to exercise? 

It’s not the first time that researchers have tried to determine the time of day when exercise is most beneficial to health. And it turns out that scientists’ conclusions vary greatly depending on the benefits sought. A recent study, for example, established an association between working out in the evening — or at the end of the day — and a lower risk of premature death and cardiovascular disease, while previous research recommended working out first thing in the morning for better long-term weight management. These findings suggest that the best time to exercise depends on individual goals.

A team of researchers studied the role of exercise in regulating blood sugar levels, particularly in sedentary adults who are overweight or obese. Science has previously demonstrated the role of moderate and vigorous physical activity in blood sugar management, but there had never been any suggestion of the right time to work out. The authors of this research set out to find out, by analysing data from 186 overweight and obese adults aged 46, on average. To carry out their research, they simultaneously monitored participants’ physical activity and blood sugar levels using specific tools, over a 14-day period.

The benefits of working out in the evening

The researchers established a ranking according to the amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity performed daily by the participants. They also divided them into several categories (morning, afternoon and evening) according to the time of day when they managed to do at least 50% of their daily physical activity. And the results, published in the journal Obesity, are clear: doing more than half of moderate to vigorous physical activity in the evening, between 6 pm and midnight, is associated with lower daytime, nocturnal and overall blood glucose levels. Note, however, that this comparison is made in relation to inactivity, and not compared to morning or afternoon exercise sessions.

Better for glucose regulation

“As the field moves towards individualised exercise prescriptions for different chronic conditions, this study now provides additional insights beyond just telling patients to ‘move more,’ but instead to move as often as possible and to prioritise afternoon-to-evening movement when feasible for glucose regulation,” comments Dr. Renee J. Rogers of the Division of Physical Activity and Weight Management at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Rogers was not associated with the research.

The authors of this study point out that the results were even more significant in people with impaired glucose regulation, while no distinction was observed between men and women. “In clinical practice, certified sports and medical personnel should consider the optimal timing of the day to enhance the effectiveness of the exercise and physical activity programs they prescribe,” concludes study coauthor, Jonatan R. Ruiz.

Obesity on the rise

According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) data, some 2.5 billion adults worldwide were overweight in 2022, of whom 890 million were obese. Children and adolescents are also affected by this public health problem, with over 390 million of them aged 5 to 19 considered overweight in the same year, including 160 million who were obese.

This story is published via AFP Relaxnews.