Did you think that morning exercise and even on an empty stomach is the key to happiness? That the fat burns and the metabolism accelerates? Unfortunately, experts disprove the claims about the superior effectiveness of morning exercise – but there is still something good about it.
Did you come across a training tip on social media that tells you to go jogging or to the gym first thing in the morning, even on an empty stomach?
Morning exercise is promised to boost metabolism and fat burning, but the claim is not supported by medical evidence.
– The time of day or an empty stomach are not essential factors. The most important thing is that the exercise is done and that the person is ready for the exercise, says the specialist in sports medicine and clinical physiology Arja Uusitalo.
According to Uusitalo, exercising on an empty stomach does not bring any added value to the exercise – on the contrary, it may weaken endurance during the performance. In this case, you may not get as much out of the exercise as compared to if the exercise class were later in the day.
– The negative energy balance is accentuated in the morning and especially on an empty stomach, Uusitalo continues.
A fundamentally healthy person can easily set off on a morning walk even on an empty stomach. Mostphotos
The fitness competitor finished his morning workouts
A personal trainer from Helsinki who has coached fitness athletes and who himself has appeared on the fitness stage several times Jonne Myllyniemi remembers that he preferred “morning aerobics” when training for the games.
– I only drank black coffee before training. After all, caffeine has been researched to invigorate the metabolism to some extent, Myllyniemi says.
However, Myllyniemi decided to stop the early morning exercises after noticing that they were of no greater benefit.
– I felt that the morning workouts took away from the night’s sleep. It doesn’t make sense if you have to do the exercise by force at, for example, six in the morning. For me, a better time for a walk, for example, is in the evening before going to bed.
Since then, Myllyniemi has not instructed his clients to do early morning workouts either.
– The body balances energy use on a daily basis. With morning aerobics, you can burn relatively more fat in the fasting state, but then the use of carbohydrate as an energy source is emphasized accordingly during the rest of the day. For someone who is losing weight, it is essential to achieve a sufficient energy deficit during the day.
– I felt that the morning workouts took away from the night’s sleep, says personal trainer Jonne Myllyniemi. Jonne Myllyniemi’s album
More pleasant on an empty stomach
Myllyniemi has a more positive attitude towards training on an empty stomach. He advises doing aerobic exercises in particular, such as light walking or jogging, before eating.
– Aerobic exercise done on an empty stomach is really smart from the point of view of the pleasantness of the exercise. I recommend to my clients that they should not eat 2-3 hours before the exercise.
Specialist doctor Arja Uusitalo is on the same lines. He does not recommend exercising on a full stomach, because then the body’s blood circulation is concentrated in the digestive tract.
– Especially for a more effective exercise, I recommend that 3–4 hours have passed since eating. Light exercise, on the other hand, is even recommended shortly after eating for its blood sugar control effects.
Little evidence from research
A specialist doctor at the Tampere Sports Medicine Center (TaULA) who is familiar with research on morning workouts Ari Hännikäinen has found very small indications of the effects of morning workouts.
– From a physiological point of view, there is little point in the fact that if a morning run is done on a morning fast, it somewhat enhances the utilization of fats for energy during exercise and for a short time after exercise, Hännikäinen says and continues:
– This is thought to be related to the fact that the liver’s glycogen stores, which regulate blood sugar levels, are at their lowest in the morning. Morning exercise reduces stores even more, enhancing lipolysis and the oxidation of fats into energy. However, there is no evidence that this is beneficial in the long term for weight loss.
According to Hännikäinen, the research data also does not support the notion of the superiority of morning jogs in weight loss. In the majority of studies, the time of day of the exercises has had no effect on weight loss or the difference has been insignificantly small.
According to Hännikäinen, the most important thing is not the timing of the exercise, but doing the exercise regardless of the time.
– When you find the most suitable time for exercise, it is more likely that exercise will also become a permanent way of life.
The story continues after the point of view.
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Perspective:
A morning run solved my problem
Although I have been an active exerciser throughout my adult life, I have struggled with a low daily step count. Exercise is focused on the gym, and since my job is sitting in front of a computer, I may have accumulated less than 1,500 steps per day.
I experienced enlightenment after starting my morning walks. When I wake up, I drink two glasses of water, throw my jacket around my neck and rush out. I walk for about 40 minutes, during which I usually accumulate just under 6,000 steps. I have set a daily goal of 8,000 steps. After an active morning, this amount is reasonably easy to implement.
If I didn’t work remotely, morning runs would hardly be part of my everyday life. That’s how much I’ve learned to value a night’s sleep.
For other remote workers, I warmly recommend morning exercise. The body wakes up and relaxes, the appetite wakes up and work efficiency improves.
Pauli Reinikainen
Is it safe?
A fundamentally healthy person can easily set off on a morning walk even on an empty stomach. Diabetics should note that exercise has an insulin-like effect on the body. Especially heavy or long-lasting exercise in the morning may cause the need to change the injectable diabetes medication and the composition and timing of meals.
According to Hännikäinen, morning runs are also safe for diabetics, as long as the medication is appropriate and the patient knows how to take into account the special requirements for medication and meals caused by physical activity.
Cardiac patients have previously been scared of the effect of morning exercises increasing acute cardiac events.
– However, based on the current research data, the fear is pointless, as the positive effects of exercise in terms of health outweigh the disadvantages, even for heart patients. In terms of preventing cardiovascular diseases, exercise in the morning may even be a slightly better option than daytime and evening exercise, Hännikäinen states.
A recent follow-up study involving 86,000 people found out how the timing of physical activity affects the health of the cardiovascular system.
The study found that the risk of coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disorders was lowest in those persons whose physical activity was scheduled in the morning and between 8 and 11 in the morning.
In terms of the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, exercising in the morning may even be a slightly better option than daytime and evening exercise. Mostphotos
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Did you know this about the energy deficit?
In weight loss, the daily energy deficit is crucial. Weight loss is rarely achieved with exercise alone if the diet is not in order.
Ari Hännikäinen, a specialist doctor at the UKK Institute and the Tampere Sports Clinic, reminds us that a too large energy deficit can, however, weaken endurance.
– If a person trains for a long time with a continuous lack of energy, the result can be symptoms of exhaustion, says Hännikäinen.
A long-term energy deficit in sports and exercise can have harmful effects on many different organ systems. For example, in women, the menstrual cycle can be disturbed or stop completely, in which case there is a risk of a decrease in bone mineral content and the development of osteoporosis. In men, the energy deficit can adversely affect the production of sex hormones.
– As a result of the decline in testosterone production, for example, a decrease in libido can occur, Hännikäinen says.
As a result of a lack of energy, the body can switch to saving mode, where it starts to slow down and eliminate life functions that are unnecessary in the short term. Weight loss that started promisingly can stall when the total energy consumption decreases due to a slowed metabolism.
Hännikäinen advises to keep your feet on the ground when it comes to weight loss.
– Too big changes should not be aimed for in a short time. The more you exercise, the more important it is to also take care of adequate and correct nutrition. There should be several days in the week when you eat according to your energy consumption. You should also pay attention to sufficient carbohydrate intake, especially if the exercise intensity is high.
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