A new study conducted in the USA contains surprising results. This study, which shows that the type and duration of exercise, as well as the timing, are highly effective, also points to different pictures for men and women. So what is the reason for this? Does this apply to all age groups?
Experts address the issue.
Apart from weight control, regular exercise is known to have a wide range of effects, from glowing skin and good posture to increased endurance and even a reduction in aches and pains. Moreover, many experts emphasize that exercise minimizes stress and helps regulate sleep quality.
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As important as the type and intensity of exercise is the timing… Many people who want to exercise regularly in their daily lives are undecided about when they should do it. In general, everyone sets a time according to their own schedule and follows that routine. The result of a recently published study seems to be a game changer at this point.
The study, led by experts from Skidmore College in the US, evaluated the sports data of 27 women and 20 men between the ages of 25 and 55, all active and healthy, for 12 weeks. During the experiment, one group exercised for an hour before 08.30 in the morning and the other group exercised between 18.00-19.00.
During this time, stretching, short-distance running, endurance and strength exercises were also recorded. Body fat percentage and blood pressure were measured regularly throughout the experiment. Everyone was also put on a specially designed diet program.
At the end of 12 weeks, it was found that women lost more fat when they exercised in the morning and men in the evening.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Paul Arcerio, professor of health and human physiology and lead author of the study, highlighted data showing that the ideal time to exercise for men and women may be different:
— Women, especially those who want to lose fat around their waist and belly and lower their blood pressure, should aim to exercise in the morning. This is important because fat around the belly and waist surrounds internal organs, including the liver, and is therefore dangerous.
— For men who want to improve their heart health and metabolism and boost their morale, the ideal time to exercise is in the evening… Because a healthier metabolism also means a lower risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
THE DIFFERENCE IN RESULTS IN MEN AND WOMEN IS DUE TO THE BIOLOGICAL RHYTHM BETWEEN THE SEXES’
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation specialists said, “The most important reason for different results in men and women may be the differences in biological rhythm between the sexes. Sleep quality is also very important during the exercise process. The fact that sleep quality times are different in both genders may have affected this result.”
-When we look at the research data, since women have better sleep quality in the morning than men (men have a later time of day when they feel fresh than women), this difference may be due to better participation in morning exercise in women.
-Another factor may be that exercising in the morning affects the two genders differently in terms of lower calorie intake during the day. Many previous studies have found that women who exercise in the morning have lower calorie intake than women who exercise in the evening.
‘THE POSITIVE STATE IN MEN IN THE EVENING IS RELATED TO THE BODY TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE’
There are many scientific studies showing that aerobic exercises in the morning and strengthening exercises in the evening are more beneficial for men. This may be related to the high levels of cortisol (stress hormone) and testosterone secreted in the morning.
In addition, since most men’s sense of well-being starts in the afternoon rather than in the morning, the best time for motivation to exercise is in the afternoon. In fact, exercise in the evening may be more beneficial for men, as the body temperature difference is maximized between 16:00 and 18:00.
WHEN SHOULD ADOLESCENTS AND THE ELDERLY EXERCISE?
The study draws conclusions based on the data of people between the ages of 25 and 55. At this point, the following question comes to mind: “Can this be the case in different age ranges?” For example, when should exercise be done during adolescence and in men and women over 60?
“There is not yet enough published scientific evidence to make exercise type and prescription recommendations gender-specific,” experts say:
“Scientific studies in homogeneous groups with larger samples are needed to adapt these data to other age groups. The response of children and the elderly to exercise may vary greatly due to different biological rhythms, sleep patterns and the possibility of comorbidities in older people.”
“It is not correct to generalize these results for adolescents, young people under the age of 25, healthy people over the age of 55, and people at risk of cardiovascular disease and those who are ill. Increasing scientific data and making recommendations in this direction will be possible with the increase in the number of similar studies conducted in a higher number of people in different age and disease groups.”
HOW DO DIETARY HABITS AFFECT THIS PICTURE?
Apart from regular exercise, eating habits are also very important. So how do eating habits affect this picture?
Nutrition and Diet Specialist Dietitian Nilay Topçam said, “In the light of scientific studies, when the timing of exercise and food consumption is evaluated, three parameters should be considered; exercise intensity (low/moderate/intense), exercise duration and exercise goal (performance/fat burning/muscle building). In other words, the time of day you exercise is not always the sole determinant,” he said, detailing these determinants one by one, regardless of the time of day you exercise:
Exercise intensity: In low- and moderate-intensity exercise, fasting/fasting does not have a significant contribution to performance, but if you are practicing high-paced exercise and care about performance, you should definitely be fed before exercise. So if you are exercising for performance, don’t starve, but if you want to burn fat and your body allows it, exercise on an empty stomach.
Exercise duration: Try not to be hungry when exercising for more than an hour. Food intake, especially before a long, high-intensity workout, will have an inhibitory effect on muscle breakdown.
Exercise goal: If you want to promote muscle building and are doing weight/resistance training, it is generally better to be full before exercise and consume moderate amounts of carbohydrates and protein within 30-45 minutes maximum after exercise.
If you are aiming to burn fat, fasting while exercising will help you lose weight faster. Studies have shown that this effect is more intense, especially in the morning, and the reason has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity more significantly.
