Before confinement, he played sports in the only daytime gap he could - usually at night - after finishing work. But in recent months, by spending more time at home, I have tried to be as active as possible , not just at night anymore. And then I started to think: will there be an ideal time to do sports? Is it better to exercise in the morning? Or better in the afternoon? Or maybe it was doing well and at night it burns more?
To solve all these doubts and make the most of my time at sports, I got in touch with Júlia Ndocky Ribas, personal trainer and coach of the Physical Activity Division of the Metropolitan gyms. Keep reading!
Is there a perfect time to exercise and burn more fat?
The short answer? A "depends". And it is that you have to take into account many factors. "The first thing we must clarify is that it is difficult to generalize, since the best time to train will depend on each person and their metabolism," explains Júlia . "What determines what will be the ideal time for each person will depend on their biological rhythm , which is influenced by blood pressure, body temperature, hormone level and heart rate," he adds, and clarifies that each time zone it has its advantages .
The benefits of doing sports in the morning
"If you like to train in the morning or it is the time of day when you have the most energy, you should know that there are some studies that claim that training in the morning, and on an empty stomach , helps accelerate weight loss and increase levels of energy preparing the body for a fat burning day ", says the expert. He also adds that if we do not like getting up early, we can train in the middle of the morning, since it is an ideal time to develop muscles (it is the time when testosterone levels in the blood are highest).
" Training in the morning will help you take advantage of more sunlight, something that is key to establishing the internal circadian rhythm of your body. Starting the day doing physical exercise could also help you not give up, since then you can carry out your daily routine with physical activity done, without unforeseen events that make you cancel it, "he clarifies.
Of course, the expert reminds us that if we train early in the day, we have to warm up before straining the muscles and tendons, since the body is naturally colder and prone to injury.
The benefits of doing sports in the afternoon
There are those who say that the afternoon is the best time and according to Júlia Ndocky Ribas, around 5pm, it could be an ideal time. Why? " Body temperature is at its highest point . This reduces oxygen consumption and consequently makes activity more efficient. Of course, this would apply to people who wake up around 7 in the morning and they go to bed at approximately 11pm. " Explain.
The benefits of doing sports at night
"Although there are those who say that training at night can affect sleep, since it is an activity that overexcites us, there are studies that affirm the opposite", highlights the coach and adds that training at night has effects that promote rest and good sleep.
Of course, it highlights that if we are going to train at night, what we must bear in mind is that at least one hour must pass from the end of the sporting activity until bedtime . "When less than that time elapses, then the latency at the beginning of sleep, as well as the quality and total amount of sleep hours, are affected," she concludes.
Once you have read the benefits of each time slot it depends on you, your body and how you feel at all times, and you choose the time of day when it is best for you to do sports.
