Going to the gym in the afternoon or evening could be better for losing weight than morning workouts, research suggests.
Exercising between noon and midnight was found to cut insulin resistance – which can lead to weight gain – by up to a quarter.
Experts say working out at the optimum time could therefore help people control their weight and reduce their chances of getting type 2 diabetes.
Insulin resistance is when cells in the muscles, fat and liver struggle to respond to insulin and cannot easily take up glucose from the blood, leading to more sugar in the bloodstream.
Exercising between noon and midnight was found to cut insulin resistance – which can lead to weight gain – by up to a quarter
Previous studies have linked exercise to better sensitivity to insulin, thereby cutting the risk of developing diabetes but scientists wanted to test if timing had any effect.
Researchers at Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands studied nearly 7,000 people, aged 45 to 65 years.
Most had a BMI of 27 or higher meaning they were overweight or obese, alongside a control group who were a healthy weight.
Those taking part underwent a physical examination during which blood samples were taken to measure blood glucose and insulin levels when people were fasting and after eating.
People were also asked about their lifestyles and some were randomly selected to have their liver fat content measured using MRI scans.
A random group of 955 people were also given a combined accelerometer and heart rate monitor to wear for four consecutive days and nights to monitor movement and activity levels. Some 775 people with complete data were included in an analysis.
The results showed that spending time on moderate to vigorous physical activity reduced liver fat content and also reduced insulin resistance.
Doing exercise in the afternoon or evening was linked to reduced insulin resistance, by 18 per cent and 25 per cent respectively, compared to an even distribution of activity throughout the day.
There was no significant difference in insulin resistance between morning activity and activity spread evenly over the day, the study published in journal Diabetologia found.
The researchers concluded: ‘These results suggest that timing of physical activity throughout the day is relevant for the beneficial effects of physical activity on inulin sensitivity.
‘Further studies should assess whether timing of physical activity is indeed important for the occurrence of type 2 diabetes.’
