Work-out Time

Workout time is an important exercise for your body’s health. A lot of advice is given as to when someone should work out; should you work out in the morning, at night, or any time you can head to the gym during the day? A new study has revealed that working out at the gym in the evening could result in a higher level of fitness. A major finding in this research is that individuals who work out after 6:00 PM are 19 percent less likely to potentially develop heart disease than those who exercised in the morning (before 8:00 AM).

Research Set-Up

The Clinical Research Center of the University of Chicago performed the research by using a sample of 40 healthy men within the age group of 20 to 30-year-olds. These men were divided into different groups, and each of the five groups exercised either in the morning, afternoon, evening, night, or not at all.

Findings of the Work-out Study

Each of the men provided blood samples, which were analyzed for different hormones and body levels. The endocrine hormones, cortisol and thyrotropin, increased for the two evening and late-night exercise groups. Glucose levels were also found to be lower for these two groups as well. Therefore, the research revealed that working out in the evening, or late at night, is better suited to the body’s metabolism and increased its level of fitness.

“This is the first study to look at the variation in the effects of exercise at four different times of day… We didn’t expect to see such large differences. The variations in the hormone levels are quite large,” explains lead researcher Dr. Orfeu Buxton.

Conclusion

One explanation for these findings relates to the endothelial tissue. This tissue may not activate and respond to exercise in the morning as it does in the evening. The endothelial tissue dilates and contracts the blood vessels, which is necessary for blood