The early riser catches the worm — and sees better results from exercise.
Earlier this week, a medical journal Obesity published a new study detailing that individuals who exercise in the morning, compared to later in the day, have better weight loss results.
Looking at the health data and activity patterns of more than 5,000 people in the United States, the study used those who participated in the 2003 to 2006 cycles of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
The researchers chose that particular time frame considering that this was the first time accelerometers, which are also known as activity trackers, were used in research.
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According to the study, participants had their body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference monitored before wearing activity trackers for 10 hours or more each day, over a period of four to seven days.
Participants who exercised earlier in the day, between 7 and 9 a.m., had a lower BMI and smaller waist circumference than those who exercised at noon, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and in the evening, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Specifically, morning exercisers had an average BMI of 27.5, compared to their afternoon and evening counterparts, who had an average BMI of 28.3. Average waist circumferences, adjusted for diet quality and calorie intake, were 37.7 inches, 38.5 inches, and 38.4 inches.
Gender, ethnicity, education, smoking and alcohol consumption also did not change the results, the study found.
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Lead researcher Tongyu Ma, who is a research assistant professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, told NBC News in a statement that he supports the findings found in the study.
“My cautious suggestion from this study is that if we choose to exercise early in the morning, before we eat, we can potentially lose more weight compared to exercising at other times of the day,” he told the newspaper.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education