Are Morning Workouts Best for Burning Fat? Study Provides Answers

The AHA! Team — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 06:21:36 +0000

Joe Boland via Dr. Axe – If you’re like a lot of people out there, you probably wonder what the optimal time of day for exercise is. The answer depends on many factors, but if you’re looking to burn fat, new research suggests morning workouts may be your best bet. Study: Workout Time and Burning Fat Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark sought to determine how working out at different times of day affected post-exercise metabolism and fat-burning (aka the afterburn effect). They did this by examining physical activity in mice at various times of day. Why mice? Because, as described in an accompanying press release on the study, “mice and humans share many basic physiological functions, and mice are a well-established model for human physiology and metabolism.” Ultimately, researchers wanted to find out the optimal time of day to exercise in order to amp up fat-burning. They did this by studying the adipose tissue in the mice after two sessions of high-intensity exercise — one performed at an early active phase (equivalent of late morning in humans) and one at early rest phases (equivalent of late evening in humans). They found that “physical activity at an early active phase increased the expression of genes involved in the breakdown of adipose tissue, thermogenesis (heat production) and mitochondria in the adipose tissue, indicating a higher metabolic rate. These effects were observed only in mice that exercised in the early active phase and were independent of food intake.” A higher metabolic rate, of course, helps burn fat more than lower a metabolic rate, meaning morning workouts may help amp up your ability to burn fat. ”Our results suggest that late-morning exercise could be more effective than late evening exercise in terms of boosting the metabolism and the burning of fat, and if this is the case, they could prove of value to people who are overweight,” said professor Juleen R. Zierath from the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery and the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Karolinska Institutet in the release. Zierath added: “The right timing seems to be important to the body’s energy balance and to improving the health benefits of exercise, but more studies are needed to draw any reliable conclusions about the relevance of our findings to humans.” Other Fat-Burning Tips While this is promising research and could encourage people to exercise early in the day, the truth is exercise at any time of day is beneficial. In fact, starting a fitness routine that works for you and your schedule is important. If that means working out in the afternoon, evening or night fits into your life better than morning, you should get your workouts in then instead. If burning fat is your ultimate goal, here are some ways to enhance your ability to lose belly fat and fat in other areas: Take advantage of natural metabolism boosters, such as getting plenty of sleep and rest, trying high-intensity interval training (HIIT), lifting weights, and avoiding inflammatory foods. Work out on an empty stomach. Add natural fat burners to your routine, such as conjugated linoleic acid, green coffee beans, grapefruit essential oil, green tea and other herbal teas, protein supplements and foods, and probiotic foods and supplements. Consume more fat-burning foods, such as high-fiber foods, apple cider vinegar, bone broth and many more. Incorporate more fat-burning workouts, including Tabata, HIIT, barre, CrossFit, spinning/cycling, cross-country skiing, sprinting, elliptical exercises, burst training, rowing and swimming. Playing sports like football, basketball, soccer and volleyball also is great for burning fat. Eat a healthy diet, and avoid unhealthy, processed foods. To read the original article click here.

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New Study Links the Timing of Physical Activity to Greater Heart-Protective Benefits

AHA Publisher — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 08:00:48 +0000

News Staff via NaturalHealth365 – We all know exercise is essential for overall well-being and heart health. But does it matter what time of day you exercise? According to a new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, it may. The data suggest that physical activity at certain times of day is linked to greater heart-protective benefits. Exercising During This Time of Day Could Be Best for Protecting Your Heart Health The recent study evaluated data from the UK Biobank on almost 87,000 men and women. The Biobank kept track of the physical activity levels as well as the heart health of the participants. By looking at the data, researchers sought to determine whether the time of day people exercise played a role in heart health. The participants were all healthy when the monitoring began. They wore activity trackers to determine the times of day they did physical activity. The participants’ heart health status was monitored for about six years. All participants were between the ages of 42 and 78, and over half were women. During the six years, over 3,000 study participants developed heart disease or a stroke. However, the participants who exercised in the late morning – primarily between 8 AM and 11 AM – appeared to have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. In fact, compared to people who exercised at other times of day, the morning exercisers experienced up to 24% lower risk of heart disease and 35% less risk of stroke! Why Does Exercise Timing Matter? Despite these results, researchers don’t have a clear answer as to why the timing of physical activity might make a difference. Interestingly, the increased heart-protective benefits of morning exercise were only noted in women. There was no difference seen in men. Still, the findings warrant further research into exercise timing. Researchers suggest that the benefits of morning exercise could be related to the way the body’s metabolism works at different times of the day. In other words, the timing of food intake could impact heart health benefits, influencing the study findings. This may be because nutrient storage and metabolism can change throughout the day. In addition, exercise holds many other benefits, including stress reduction and improving mood. So it’s possible that lower stress throughout the day also impacts heart disease risk. Whatever the case, the study suggests that morning exercise is ideal, especially for women. How to Promote Optimal Heart Health Even if you can’t exercise in the morning, it’s better to exercise whenever you can than not at all. However, starting the day with physical activity is probably a good idea for anyone who can do it, although exercise timing seems to mainly affect women. Morning exercise also can help you feel better overall and more prepared for the day. On top of exercise, eating a healthy diet is essential for protecting your heart. Aim for a diet rich in nutrient-dense organic fruits and vegetables and try to minimize toxic processed foods. Cutting back on sugar intake will also have heart health benefits. Sources for this article include: Academic.oup.com Consumer.healthday.com To read the original article click here.

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Are Morning Workouts Best for Burning Fat? Study Provides Answers

New Study Links the Timing of Physical Activity to Greater Heart-Protective Benefits