Playing sports is always good, but if you want to burn fat and lose weight, it’s better to do physical activity at certain times when fat metabolism increases, suggests a new study that found that mice that exercised Those who exercised at an early stage – which in the case of humans corresponds to morning exercise – increased their metabolism more than those who exercised at a time when they should normally rest.
The way in which physical activity affects the body varies at different times of the day because biological processes are linked to the circadian rhythms of cells. A team of researchers from the Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) and the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) studied in mice how the time of day in which exercise is practiced affects fat burning.
These scientists analyzed the adipose tissue of these animals after a high-intensity exercise session carried out at two moments of the day: an early active phase and an early rest phase (corresponding to a session at the end of the morning and at the end of the day). in the afternoon, respectively, in people). Specifically, they studied various markers of fat metabolism and analyzed which genes were active in adipose tissue after exercise.
Exercise to stimulate metabolism in overweight people
The researchers found that physical activity in an early active phase increased the expression of genes involved in the breakdown of adipose tissue, thermogenesis (heat production), and mitochondria in adipose tissue, indicating a higher metabolic rate. elevated. These effects were only seen in animals that exercised in the early active phase and were independent of their food intake.
“Our results suggest that exercise in the late morning could be more effective than exercise in the late evening in promoting metabolism and fat burning.”
“Our results suggest that late-morning exercise might be more effective than late-night exercise in promoting metabolism and fat burning, and if so, might prove useful for overweight people.” noted Juleen R. Zierath professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery and the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Karolinska Institutet.
Mice share many basic physiological functions with humans, and are a very well-formed model for human physiology and metabolism, but there are key differences to keep in mind, such as that they are nocturnal animals.
“Timing appears to be important for the body’s energy balance and for enhancing the health benefits of exercise, but further studies are needed to draw reliable conclusions about the relevance of our findings to humans,” concludes Professor Zierath. The results of the study have been published in the journal PNAS.
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