As per the new study, exercising late at night can raise your heartbeat and disrupt your sleep. Exercising generally leaves you dehydrated and releases stress hormones in the body, leading you to stay alert. The bright lights at the gym and stress hormones stop melatonin, the sleep hormone from being produced.
They found that not only did evening exercise not affect sleep, it seemed to help people fall asleep faster and spend more time in deep sleep. However, those who did high-intensity exercise — such as interval training — less than one hour before bedtime took longer to fall asleep and had poorer sleep quality.
You could be too tired to have an effective workout. You might end up skipping days if you are working late or have an early morning appointment. Exercising too close to bedtime could cause you to take longer to fall asleep. Exercising immediately after eating dinner could cause muscle cramps and indigestion.
However, experts caution that vigorous exercise within one hour of bedtime does not allow time for core body temperature to cool. This may delay sleep, affect sleep quality, and lead to more nighttime awakenings.
In fact, exercising in the evening may even help you sleep better. Exercising leads to positive sleep outcomes—improved sleep efficiency, deep sleep, and sleep quality. Numerous studies also suggest that exercising in the evenings may still bring similar benefits to sleep.
Will I gain weight if I sleep after exercise? “No, sleeping after exercise will not cause weight gain. In fact, sleep is an essential component of weight management, as it regulates hormones (such as leptin and ghrelin), which control appetite and metabolism,” explains Li.
Intense Exercise Can Disrupt Sleep
While moderate exercise can benefit your sleep, doing something more intense, like high-intensity interval training (HIIT), less than an hour before your bedtime can negatively impact your sleep efficiency and cause you to wake up more times during sleep.
If you prefer to workout at night, 8pm is likely to be the best option as the gym will not be busy and you can follow your normal daily routine, finishing the day with a workout before heading to bed. If you feel as though you may struggle with motivation, try joining classes if your gym offers them.
That's why you need to sleep for at least 7 hours a night if you want your muscles to grow properly and quickly. Not getting a lot of sleep decreases the activity of protein synthesis pathways and increases the activity of degradation pathways, which favors muscle loss.
For men, evening exercise led to greater fat burning and better blood pressure control. Evening exercise also amplified the benefits of strength training, but more so for women.
Workouts should last no less than 60 minutes and no more than 90 minutes. This is sufficient time to challenge your body with quality reps. Anything more, and you'll see diminished returns for your efforts. If you feel inclined to train longer, it's best to split up your workout.
In general, it is fine to work out at any time of day. That said, some researchers suggest that you should stop exercising at least 90 minutes before sleep. This time allows heart rate to slow down and body temperature to return to normal.
If you still prefer workouts later in the day, they can have their own unique benefits, too. Evening exercise — between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. — “greatly” increased upper body muscle strength, power and endurance, and enhanced overall mood for women, according to the study published in Frontiers in Physiology.
“If you're working out at night, make sure to not stay up later than you normally would. Exercise is, of course, healthy, but what's not healthy is throwing off your body's internal clock and messing up your sleep cycle,” he explains. Give yourself two to three hours before you plan to sleep.
Most people should avoid strenuous workouts in the late evening or right before bedtime if they want to get the best night's sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation of American.
After training, during a period known as the golden hour (45 to 60 minutes after a workout), muscles absorb the most nutrients, and glycogen is replaced the most efficiently. You don't have to have a huge meal — just a little something that contains both protein and carbs will give the best results.
The body releases cortisol or the stress hormone during exercise. It can impact fluid levels and lead to water retention. The bloating may go away once your body has adapted to the new workout regimen or a fitness routine.
The most common cause for gaining weight after working out, particularly during the first few weeks of a new training program or after a particularly intense workout, is due to water retention. What is this? This is temporary weight gain rather than a true increase in body fat.
As per the new study, exercising late at night can raise your heartbeat and disrupt your sleep. Exercising generally leaves you dehydrated and releases stress hormones in the body, leading you to stay alert. The bright lights at the gym and stress hormones stop melatonin, the sleep hormone from being produced.
Diksha Chhabra, Fitness Trainer, and Nutritionist says that moderate exercise in the evening is not good for your sleep but doing high-intensity workouts can have a negative impact on your sleep efficiency and lead you to wake up more times during sleep which can also lead to a tired start to your next day.
Past experts have told us that you shouldn't work out after 8 p.m. The National Sleep Foundation advises that you avoid "strenuous workouts in the late evening or right before bed," though it notes that if nighttime workouts don't affect your sleep, there's no need to change your routine.
Key takeaways: When you exercise too soon after eating, it may cause gastrointestinal issues that hinder your workout. General guidelines suggest exercising 1 to 2 hours after a small meal and 30 to 60 minutes after a snack to fuel your workout and prevent stomach problems.
General guidelines recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio and two strength-training workouts each week. Doing more than that increases the benefits, but only if you're properly trained. Beginners should slowly boost workout duration, frequency, and intensity to avoid injury.