For women, it would be better to exercise early in the morning to lose abdominal fat and in the evening before 7 p.m. to gain muscle strength. For men, the time has much less impact.
- Women who exercised in the morning lost about 10% of their abdominal fat, compared to only 3% for those who exercised in the evening.
- Scientists have not yet succeeded in explaining the difference between the benefits obtained according to schedules and gender.
L’World Health Organization recommends doing 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise or at least 75 to 100 minutes of sustained-intensity physical activity per week to be in good health… But when is the ideal time to do your sports sessions?
The ideal workout time is different depending on gender and goals
This is the question that researchers wanted to answer. Their work has just been published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology…According to them, the time is not the same depending on gender and goals.
For women, sports practice in the evening helps to gain muscle strength
For women who want to lose belly fat or lower blood pressure, exercising in the morning before 8:30 a.m. would be more effective.
On the other hand, if the goal is to gain muscle strength, it is best to play sports in the evening, before 7 p.m. After this time, researchers advise women to avoid exercise as it may prevent them from sleeping and affect the quality of their sleep.
Men always gain strength, whether in the morning or in the evening
Whether the training takes place in the evening or in the morning for men, the results obtained are the same in terms of physical strength.
On the other hand, for heart and metabolic health, the authors recommend that they exercise in the evening. This advice is also valid for their emotional well-being.
All participants improved their overall health
During their study, the researchers followed 26 women and 30 men, active, in good health and aged 25 to 55 years. They had to follow a sports program for twelve weeks, with sprinting, fitness, stretching, resistance and endurance activities.
The participants were divided into two groups: one trained in the morning, before 8:30 a.m., and the other in the evening, between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Food was the same for everyone. At the end of the study, scientists observed that members of both groups improved their overall health as well as their athletic performance.
Regularity takes precedence
This is not the first time that researchers have studied the impact of training time on sports results. In a study published last February in the journal Cell Metabolismthe authors estimated that the benefits for physical, brain and cognitive health were greater by practicing physical activity in the morning.
Still, the main thing in sport is regularity… If certain times of the day suit you to include a session in your schedule, don’t hesitate, do it at any time!
