What Time Of Day Should You Exercise

If you are a regular exerciser, you may have already determined your most productive time to exercise and follow a routine that works best for you.

On the other hand, if your exercise time varies from day to day, and it's wearing you out instead of pumping you up, you may be interested in the work of scientists who are studying the proverbial internal clock and how to best determine what time of day you should schedule your workouts.

The secret appears to lie in circadian rhythms, the daily cycles that our bodies follow. These rhythms originate in the hypothalamus and regulate everything from body temperature and metabolism to blood pressure.

The rhythms result from the firing rate of neurons. They have conformed to our 24-hour light-to-dark cycle, and may be regulated and reregulated each day according to the environment.

It is the influence of circadian rhythms on body temperature that seems to yield the most control over the quality of a workout. When body temperature is at its highest, your workouts will likely be more productive; when your temperature is low, chances are your exercise session may be less than optimal.

Body temperature is at its lowest about one to three hours before most of us wake up in the morning, in contrast to late afternoon when body temperature reaches its peak. (To determine your own circadian peak, refer to the box to the left.)

Studies have consistently shown that exercise during these late-in-the-day hours produces better performance and more power. Muscles are warm and more flexible, perceived exertion is low, reaction time is quicker, strength is at its peak, and resting heart rate and blood pressure are low.

Don't change your schedule if you feel good beginning your day with exercise. Everyone agrees that exercise at any time is better than no exercise at all. In fact, people who exercise in the morning are more successful at making it a habit.

And though it has been suggested that morning exercise may put some people at higher risk for heart attack, further research indicates that there is simply a generalized increased risk of heart attacks in the morning. If your schedule favors an early workout, emphasize stretching and a good warm-up to insure that your body is ready for action.

If stress relief is your goal, exercise always works, all the time. And if you're wondering when it's best to train for an upcoming event, it all depends on what time you'll actually be competing. If an upcoming marathon begins at 7:00 a.m., try training at that time of day.

Though training at any time of day will raise performance levels, research has shown that the ability to maintain sustained exercise is adaptive to circadian rhythms. In other words, consistently training in the morning will allow you to sustain exercise during a morning marathon longer than if you train in the evening.

The Hormone Of Youth - Testosterone

A declining sex drive, lack of energy, weak erections, poor sleep, grumpiness, depression, decreasing strength, endurance, and deteriorating work and sports performance are some of the negative side effects we men can naturally expect as we age.  According to the medical profession the main cause of these negative effects can be directly attributed to a decline in testosterone levels. 

Studies have shown, however,  that regular exercisers have a  higher sex drive and less diminish in the other affected areas than do non exercisers or weekend warriors. Doctors say that it is related to the surges of testosterone that occur immediately after resistance training, and right after endurance training like cycling, swimming or running.

But  using the old Soloflex  and resistance training isn't the cure all end all.  Testosterone levels can vary for many reasons. The hormone  fluctuates in all of us throughout the day, depending on what are known as circadian rhythms. In men, studies reveal that levels are highest in the morning and that concentrations are minimal in the evening.  Increased levels in men and women that can be detected immediately following a workout.  Although overall levels seem to decreased with excessive endurance   training routines. Excessive endurance training causes the body to produce high levels of cortisone - a catabolic hormone. Even food intake may play a role in lowering testosterone levels. If a person drinks a protein-carb shake before and after a workout, the levels can go down.   It is believed that aging men, who have lower levels  of testosterone get a lower boost from a tough weight-lifting session than do younger men.

Research indicates that it is not only levels of the actual hormone that may affect you, but the amount of receptors present on cells that can interact with the testosterone. Testosterone helps stimulate muscle growth, but different types of muscle fibers are more (or less) receptive to the hormone. This means that the effects of testosterone may also depend upon the proportion of muscle fibers you have (which is mostly genetically determined), and what kind of exercise you do to train the muscles.

Like everything else going on in the body, especially with hormones, the response of testosterone is highly complex. At certain times it is difficult to determine what positive effect are the result of higher testosterone levels and what effect can be attributed to other chemicals like adrenalin, which energizes, or even opioids like endorphins, which can produce a "feel-good" effect.

Another consideration  may be that the psychological self-confidence that you get from being physically fit, accomplishing fitness goals like exercising on a regular basis or simply losing weight can stave off the negatives mentioned at the beginning of this post.

In summery, the best way to beat psychological decline is to keep using the machines like the Soloflex Hybrid. They are your best bet at keeping testosterone levels high and your body in good working order.