A study suggests the best time to control weight through exercise health

Engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity at a certain time of day may be more conducive to weight control, according to new research to be published in the October issue of the journal. obesity.

The study, conducted by researchers from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Franklin Pierce University, and Arizona State University (the latter two in the US), suggests that morning time – 7am to 9am – could be best for increasing engagement. Between physical activity and fighting obesity.

“Our study has provided a new tool to explore the daily pattern of physical activity and study its impact on health outcomes,” said Tongyu Ma, corresponding author of the paper. In the current situation.

The research authors analyzed data from 5,285 participants available from 2003 to 2006 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The individuals were divided according to their physical activity schedules: 642 people exercised in the morning; 2456 at noon. And 2187 at night. Everyone had to wear the accelerometers on the right hip for a week, and only remove the device when showering or swimming.

In the morning group, the researchers observed a strong linear association between obesity and moderate to vigorous physical activity, while the same association was weaker in the other groups.

On the other hand, people who engage in physical activity habits during the day spend more time in sedentary behavior than those who exercise in the middle of the day or at night. However, the group that exercised early had lower BMI and waist circumference than the other groups.

“Our findings suggest that the daily pattern of moderate to vigorous physical activity could be another important dimension for describing the complexity of human movement,” the researchers stated in the study.

Rebecca Krukowski, a clinical psychologist and co-director of the Center for Community Health Equity at the University of Virginia, USA, who was not involved in the research, comments that more studies are needed on this topic, as the new article is cross-sectional – that is, it analyzes data from a group A subgroup of people during a specific period. “It is not known whether people who exercise consistently in the morning may differ systematically from those who exercise at other times,” she points out.

For example, people who exercise in the morning may have more predictable schedules and may be less likely to work shifts or have responsibilities that get in the way of morning exercise. More consistent schedules may have other beneficial effects on weight that have not been measured, as well as on sleep duration/quality and stress levels.

Overall, participants in the morning group were 10 to 13 years older than participants in the other two groups. There was also a higher proportion of women among individuals who exercised early. Most of these people were non-Hispanic white, had a college education or higher, and had never used tobacco or alcohol.

The study authors also acknowledge that “future studies and randomized controlled trials are needed” to confirm their findings.