HOUSTON — New research says women and men get different results at different times of the day.
Getting up and going any time of day is always a good idea, but fitness fanatics have wondered if working out is more effective in the morning or night. A study in Frontiers in Physiology could have the answer.
It looked at a group of physically active men and women who were not athletes. They had half run through set exercise routines in the morning and the other half in the evening. The results found gender played a role in the results.
Everyone showed health benefits, but women burned more fat when they worked out in the morning with a lot of that fat burning from the abdomen. They also lowered their blood pressure a lot more. The women working out in the evening showed more strength gains, especially in the upper body.
When it came to men, working out later showed more health benefits. The evening exercisers significantly lowered cholesterol levels and burned more fat compared to the early morning group.
When it came to strength, any time of day helped men put on muscle. Experts told The Washington Post the results are intriguing and more research needs to be done on the differences.