Is there really a better time to workout in the day? Some will contest that getting a workout in first thing in the morning is better than working out in the evening because the workout is out of the way and the day can proceed uninterrupted. While the other group will contend that working out in the evening is better because your brain is firing, and energy levels are up from being up all day.
In all honesty, getting your workout in is the objective, so evaluating your personal schedule will determine which time of day works best for you.
Either way, when a person works out, it does have an effect on their eating habits, more specifically, their calorie intake. A person who works out first thing in the morning most likely does not eat a very big meal before they hit the gym. This is more because of comfort than method because no one likes to feel stuffed before they go to the gym, however on the method side of things, working out with just enough in the stomach will help with energy and focus while making sure the muscles have what they need to be fueled.
For a person who misses that am work out, calorie consumption can become a little confusing. It would be easy for a person to just eat all day like they already worked out, which causes their glucose levels to be elevated which could lead to an eventual drop in energy and a “bogged down” feeling.
A good approach to a person who misses that am workout is to backload their calories. This means that they should keep a huge portion of their daily calorie intake to the latter part of the day (post workout). This can be a challenge but making sure healthy snacks and small meals are utilized will be imperative.
Keeping your calories on the backend of your day, or after your late workout, will allow the body to utilize the calories more effectively because the body’s metabolism is rocking after a workout. Eating on plan regularly in regard to early workout with calories not being backloaded will just have the body feeling a little heavy and possibly with lower energy.
So, if you find yourself missing that am workout, hold back on the calories until you get the workout in.
