Nighttime exercise could produce different results than daytime exercise.
“There appears to be significant differences between the effect of exercise performed in the morning and evening, and these differences are probably controlled by the body’s circadian clock,” said researcher Joshua Thue Treebak.
“Morning exercise initiates gene programs in the muscle cells, making them more effective and better capable of metabolizing sugar and fat,” Treebak said. “Evening exercise, on the other hand, increases whole body energy expenditure for an extended period of time.”
While morning workouts were associated with better muscle cell function, which the researchers attribute to the body’s natural circadian clock, nighttime workouts were associated with increased energy expenditure, which affects how many calories we burn on a daily basis.
