Timing is, of course, everything. But when it comes to riding, is there a better time to ride during the day? Especially if you’re riding for fitness and to get in shape, whether you ride in the morning or after work can make a big difference.
It’s been a debate for a long, long time. Take a second to scroll Strava, and you’ll probably see plenty of friends that are up well before the rest of the world wakes up to take on workout, but just as many that don’t hit the roads or trails until after work or even after 8pm. Who’s doing it right?
Well, that depends. The first thing to remember is that the only good workout is one that you actually do, so the timing of your ride should put you in a position to succeed. Even if your body and mind prefer riding after work, sometimes life gets in the way. Family and work obligations are much more likely to come up in the afternoon and evening, and much fewer tend to happen before 7am. However, if you’re going to slap the snooze button six times out of ten, mornings are giving you a headstart on the day, either.
Another important element of the decision is timing diet and nutrition to support the work you’re putting in. Some people simply can’t stomach breakfast in the morning, which means they’re rides are fasted or underfueled. That can possibly help with weight control, but there’s no chance you’re getting everything out of your body that it’s capable of producing. If you have a tendency to eat a large lunch or dinner, trying to ride immediately after could be equally disastrous.
There is some good support for both morning and evening riding. When you first wake up, your body is rested and energized, and your muscles have had several hours to rest and repair. There’s also evidence that morning exercise of any kind can boost your metabolism and help to burn more calories throughout the day. Those early morning efforts can specifically target fat, too, because most morning workouts will burn glucose quickly and switch to fat stores. There’s also the life-factor. Many morning riders do so because it means they won’t have to find or make time to ride later in the day, which might make them more available to work or spend time with family.
Evening rides have the inverse perks. Because you’re more likely to be properly fueled by a day’s worth of nutrients, most riders in the evenings can put in more time or harder efforts, which inevitably leads to faster improvement. Specifically, your muscles tend to process protein more efficiently, which means you’ll work out harder and likely recover more quickly. But there’s a prize. Evening exercise has proven to affect the length and quality of sleep, which can lead to a number of health issues, including elevated levels of cortisol, causing weight gain.
At the end of the day, what matters is that you squeezed in a ride. But when it comes to the physiological effects, mornings tend to be the smarter way to train.