Working out at Night: Good or Bad

Waking up early in the morning is not everybody’s cup of tea. For some of us it is excruciatingly painful to even get out of bed, while for others, it’s a close to impossible feat.

Whether it’s your preference or your routine schedule that makes it difficult for you to wake up, many of us have resorted to working out at night.

Gyms have been smart enough to grasp that and if you just walk around your neighbourhood, you will see gyms which are open 24 hours a day. People who are not particularly fond of gyms can be found running on streets or playing sport.

But does working out at night do us more harm than good? Does it weaken our muscles instead of making them stronger? Let’s find the answers to these common questions.

Disrupts Natural Hormone Cycles

When we are young our bodies are more adaptable to stress and even if we push our bodies against its consent we may get away without harming it in any way. When we are young staying up at night and working out may not severely disrupt our functioning but as we get older we may have to pay more heed to its impact on our system.

As we get older pulling off all nighters can put you off track the next day. You may feel differently due to lack of sleep and find your mind covered in a perpetual haze. Even our workout performance suffers when we constantly indulge in it at night.

If you do some research on the internet you will find how there is a high secretion of cortisol in the morning. Such naturally high levels of cortisol make the morning hours especially suitable for taking part in activities. The cortisol levels slowly decline during the day and gradually wear off at night to make way for a good night’s sleep.

Our bodies are designed in a particular way which makes the morning time especially suitable for indulging in strenuous activities. Aligning our activities with our body cycle can yield better results when it comes to workout performance. If you simply cannot find the time to work out in the morning you can try working out in the late afternoon or early evening hours which is also quite suitable for workouts. In those hours our body experiences a spike in the levels of adrenaline and testosterone.

Night-time is not suitable for stress hormones

When we exercise we are activating our sympathetic nervous system which is also known as ‘fight or flight’ system. When this system is activated there is a higher production of stress hormones and nutrients and blood is pulled away from our brain and digestion system and diverted towards our muscles. Unlike when we are relaxed there is a lower than normal production of rejuvenative hormones when SNS is on.

Some experts believe that working out at night leads to production of endorphins which help us relax. But since we are going against the natural cycles of our body we are actually generating greater stress in our system than fighting the existing levels.

You may have observed how all fitness events such as sports or even activity days out are mostly held during the day.

Also, working out right before going to sleep can make it difficult for you to get quality sleep at night. As we all know one of the most important ingredients that go into body transformation is getting proper sleep each night.

Daytime exercises yield better sleep

Recent studies have revealed that morning workouts are actually ideal for those who wish to sleep well at night. Those who work out at 7 a.m in the morning tend to sleep longer and have a better sleep cycle than those who work out in the early evening or at night.

Being awake is a catabolic process in which things are broken down at a faster rate than they are being rebuilt. On the other hand, sleeping is an anabolic state which means that the most beneficial hormones which are responsible for rejuvenation of our body are being produced.  

As for those who work out in the morning, greater than 75 percent of their sleeping time falls in the deep sleep state. It is in this state that our bodies are best capable of repairing damages.

Since the purpose of working out is to improve our health, wouldn’t it be better to do it in those hours in which our body benefits the most from it?