When is the best time to exercise to get the most out of your training?

Muscle, fat and other cells respond differently to exercise at different times of the day.

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Usain Bolt broke the 100-meter record at the 2009 World Athletics Championships, held under a pitch black sky in a floodlit stadium in Berlin.

This is no coincidence: when it comes to sports prowess, timing matters. For activities that depend on pure strength and endurance, most world records are set in the early evening or late afternoon, likely aided by peaking daily rhythms of some of the body’s major physiological outputs.

But what about people who exercise every day? Is there an optimal time of day to maximize the benefits of your training and reduce the risk of injury?

“Whether you’re looking at any aspect of sports, whether it’s sports medicine or athletic response, time of day is important.” Meng Qingshun According to a study from the University of Manchester in the UK, your body temperature peaks in the late afternoon or evening, allowing for faster metabolic responses and faster nerve signal transmission compared to early morning hours. Connective tissues are also more flexible in the afternoon, allowing time for your glycogen stores, a biochemical energy source your muscles use during moderate to intense exercise, to be replenished.