The Timing of Training Session refers the time of day in which the training session is performed. For many the choice of time of the day in which they are able to perform a training session may not be an option due to other commitments such as work or school, etc.
In many cases individuals will perform training sessions early morning before work/school or early evening after work/school. The preference of each may come down to the individual based on what they may feel is best suited to them. Some may even find training fasted, early morning the most effective than training after having breakfast however there are a number of factors to consider.
- Circadian Rhythms
- Neurotransmitter Dominance
- Environmental Considerations
- Individual Preference
Circadian Rhythms
The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle controlling all the physiological processes of humans and animals. The functions of the circadian clock include organization of sleep/wake patterns, control of your hormones and metabolism which can influence performance in a training session.
The circadian rhythm can be influenced by environmental considerations due to shift in daylight hours in different seasons. The above illustration provides the circadian based on average daylight hours.
Studies in a variety of sports and activities have shown measures of strength and power to be highest in the afternoon & evening compared to the morning. The optimal body temperature for training usually occurs around this time which may provide better nerve conduction velocity, joint mobility and safety.
Strength and power are more likely to be affected by time of day than endurance, therefore when programming for optimizing for strength and power and after taking other factors into consideration, late afternoon-early evening may optimize outcome.
Küüsmaa et al. (2016) studied the effectiveness a training program performed in the morning between 06:30 – 10:00 h or in the evening between 16:30 – 20:00 h for a 24 week period. While strength and endurance performance improved similarly across the groups, the men training in the evening gained notably more muscle mass.
Neurotransmitter Dominance
Neurotransmitter dominance may play a major role in determining optimal time of day to perform the training session. Much more in-depth information can be found in the section on neurotransmitters and exercise.
Environmental Considerations
The environmental concerns may be related to weather or it could be related to the direct environment that you are training in where if a public facility over crowding could be a concern and you may want to work around peak hours. This tends to be more of a problem with large gym chains that often oversell memberships.
With the weather, extreme cold or heat environments may need to be taken into consideration when selecting the time of day to conduct the training session. With extreme cold early morning sessions may not be best and if they are performed may require a longer warmup process. The extreme heat may impact performance and the potential for overheating is increased therefore middle of the day training may want to be avoided. This would also depend of the heating or cooling systems installed in your facilities however remember training in an air-conditioned facility is not ideal but may be necessary in some environments.
Individual Preference
Sometimes it comes down to individual preference. Neurotransmitter dominance may play a role in this also but there may be individuals that function better at certain times of the day.