Make your heart beat
When you start exercising, your cardiovascular and respiratory systems respond quickly. Working muscles need more oxygen for energy, so your heart beats faster and pumps more blood throughout the body. Adrenaline and norepinephrine contribute to this response, while your breathing becomes faster and deeper to deliver oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.
The more you exercise, the greater these demands become. But you don’t need to run at full speed to exercise your body: even a brisk walk increases energy expenditure and makes your heart and lungs work harder than they would at rest.
Improve your sleep
“Morning movements can also help strengthen your body’s internal clock, especially when combined with daylight,” says Professor Raichlen. “Over time, this helps reinforce the distinction between daytime activity and nighttime rest.”
Research suggests that timing of exercise can influence circadian rhythms, although the effects vary between individuals. A review of the evidence examined the relationship between exercise, circadian rhythms and sleep. It has been found that morning exercise can accelerate late onset melatonin onset (DLMO) – the time when the body begins to produce melatonin in the evening – potentially improving sleep quality and helping people whose natural sleep-wake cycle occurs later.
However, this doesn’t mean that early training will automatically improve your sleep. The effects depend on factors such as your current body clock, timing and intensity of exercise, and exposure to light. “You shouldn’t sacrifice sleep to train either: getting enough rest remains essential for recovery and overall health,” adds Professor Raichlen.
Burn more fat
Some people find it easier to exercise before breakfast; others do it because they’ve heard that working out on an empty stomach burns more fat. There is some science behind this idea. After an overnight fast, insulin levels are generally lower and the liver’s glycogen stores – its stores of readily available carbohydrates – have decreased. During exercise, the body may therefore rely more on fat for fuel, especially during low-intensity activities.
This effect may persist after training, says Dr Adora Yau, a nutrition and exercise physiologist at Manchester Metropolitan University. A study published in eBioMedicine investigated how exercising before or after meals affected fat oxidation (the metabolic process of breaking down fat into usable energy) over 24 hours. A 60-minute workout before breakfast was found to increase fat oxidation compared to remaining sedentary, while exercising after lunch or dinner did not produce the same effect.
“Exercising in a fasted state may result in additional health benefits, such as reduced insulin responses to food ingestion (greater insulin sensitivity) and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as a greater adaptive response to exercise, even when energy balance is not affected,” adds Dr. Yau.
Gn Health
