Best Time To Work Out

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Exercisers who are forever searching for the best time to work out might get the most out of their sessions if they hit the treadmill or gym in the late afternoon.

By studying lung capacity in 4,800 men and women, researchers found that resistance in airway passages decreases as nightfall approaches.

Consequently, participants were able to take in a greater amount of air – as much as 15% to 20% more than other times of the day. That increase was higher than expected.

The participants, with an average age of 55 – were given hourly standard pulmonary function gersts during typical workday hours, from 8am to 5pm. Subjects were asked to inhale as much air as they could in one second, then exhale into a device that measures the volume of the air expelled. Some of the men and women had normal lungs, while others had lung diseases or chronic conditions such as asthma or bronchitis.

The greatest improvement in lung function overall was found from 4pm to 5pm. Although job and family responsibilities may make it difficult to squeeze in a workout session precisely at 4pm, exercising around that time may also offer benefits.

Although it was known that asthmatics often have breathing problems early in the morning, around 5am or 6am, the lowest lung function was actually found to occur at noon.

Other studies and theories on exercise and circadian rhythms – the 24-hour activity cycle that controls bodily functions such as sleep and blood pressure – support the results. Metabolism is faster in the afternoon, and body temperature is higher, leading to better performance.

Not every healthy exerciser may feel a marked difference if they switch from morning to afternoon workouts but it does sound more prudent to have people who have asthma and bronchitis to exercise at 4pm or 5pm rather than noon.

Improved lung function could also have implications for administering medications and scheduling medical procedures, since the body may respond better at certain times of day.

As to why lung capacity increases later in the day, Dr Boris Medarov, an intern at Long Island Jewish Medical Centre in New Hyde Park, New York said it could be linked to hormone production, or it might be a side effect of some other function. “The evolutionary reason is questionable. We really don’t know,” he said.