The best time of the day for weight loss workouts

The study found that all the participants that exercised between 7am and 9am had a markedly lower body mass index (BMI) than those that exercised at other times of the day even when they lived heavily sedentary lifestyles.

So what is it about this time that makes workouts more effective? Because, the study found, this window of exercise is easier to stick to for the longer haul because people are less likely to be distracted by phone calls, emails or meetings.

In the study above, data from the digital trackers won by the participants was used to split them into groups; those that exercise in the morning from 7am to 9am, those that workout around midday, between 11am and 1pm, and those that workout in the evening, from 5pm to 8pm.

They then measured their BMI and waist circumference to find out which group was least likely to be obese. The morning group was least overweight with only 642 obese participants, while the midday group had 2,400 obese participants and 2,187 in the evening group.

Ugandan sport doctor Ntegge Ssengendo says there is reasonable ground for this phenomenon. He says that the possible explanation is that exercising in the morning, especially before eating, may cause the body to burn fat. 

“When you exercise in the morning, it means that you are exercising on an empty stomach. This is of course assuming that you did not wake up to eat in the middle of the night and that you have not had breakfast yet. When we sleep at night, we fast and exercising on an empty stomach means that your body is burning fat and not the carbohydrates you have just eaten,” he says.

The molecular clock

He adds the reason morning exercises may be great in the weight loss journey has something to do with the body’s molecular clock. 

“A molecular clock is a mechanism in every cell, particularly in the muscles that controls certain bodily functions like how fat is metabolised in the body. Exercising in the morning may reset the clock and improve metabolism, leading to weight loss,”  Ntege says.

He adds that taking time to exercise in the morning may prove easier than later in the day because you are still fresh as opposed to later when you are tired. This means that it will not feel like a chore you hate to do, but a ritual that jump starts your adrenaline and clears your mind before attacking the day. Kinda like praying. This, he says, may cause one to look forward to a morning exercise and then reap the benefits of consistency. 

“While many people are rushing to work in the morning and excuse themselves from exercising, take time off to workout may prove to be a blessing. People worry that a morning workout may use up the much-needed energy for their work, but this is not a legitimate concern,” he says.

He’s quick to add that the decision to workout is a complex one and some people prefer other times of the day and that is okay. After all exercise is good for the body no matter the time and those that cannot do it in the morning can still keep their preferred time of day. 

Exercise before eating?

Dangers with fasted work outs

Yes, it burns body fat when you work out on an empty stomach but some experts advise that working out in a fasted state may be a bad idea because it can deplete your blood sugar, causing light-headedness, nausea and even fainting. This, they say, can be dangerous while you are in the middle of a workout. It may not the best option for your body in the long-run.

The better option is to eat a snack before and after your workout. The before snack is meant to work as fuel because it will provide the body with blood sugar, the after snack will help in muscle recovery especially if it is protein rich.

Working out after a large meal is also discouraged. It is not only unpleasant, it can even cause a stomach upset. And because it is busy digesting, you will struggle with most routines because the energy is divided between physical and biological functions.