Ideal time of day to train?

[cozisco]

Question for any sports science geniuses out there:
Is there any one time of the day when the body is most prone to respond to training stress?

Is it best to train strength early in the morning? Or does training in the evening prepare the body for a larger physical adaptation overnight? Sure, training at the same time every day is probably more important, but I just haven't read any literature on this and curious if anyone else has. 

[scojo]

I'm not an expert, but wikipedia has an interesting figure on its Circadian Rhythm page:




I doubt there is any significant effect, but if you want to believe this figure, it might be best to do technique related training around 2:30 PM and strength/endurance related training around 5PM (shift this depending on when you go to sleep and wake up).

[nate]

I think there's some evidence that it's best to train at the same time you plan to be performing.

Probably the most important consideration is to train at a time that is convenient so you're not tempted to skip. If I tried to train in the morning I would just end up not training.

[jcm]

Jul 5, 2016 13:05:18 GMT -7 nate said:

Probably the most important consideration is to train at a time that is convenient so you're not tempted to skip. If I tried to train in the morning I would just end up not training.

This. Finding a time that is convenient and that you can stick to should be the first priority. Simply showing up to train is half of the battle.

The second priority in timing is to schedule around training conditions. Notably, heat and crowds. If you climb at a crowded gym, early morning sessions can be advantageous. Mornings are also advantageous during the heat of summer (temps; skin).

Circadian rhythm mumbo jumbo is a distant third on the priorities rankings.

[jetjackson]

Jul 5, 2016 13:05:18 GMT -7 nate said:

I think there's some evidence that it's best to train at the same time you plan to be performing.

Probably the most important consideration is to train at a time that is convenient so you're not tempted to skip. If I tried to train in the morning I would just end up not training.

Tend to agree with this.

I used to train running during the evenings, but all the races were early 6am starts and I got flogged on the first couple of races. Switched to the morning and it worked a lot better.

I prefer the evenings for training. I try to get into work and finish early, at about 4pm, so I can be at the gym and get through most of my workout before the rush hits at 6-7pm.

There seems to be some science behind the circadian rhythm thing, which suggests evenings as the best time for performance;

Sleep deprivation and time of day are both known to influence performance. A growing body of researchhas focused on how sleep and circadian rhythms impact athletic performance. This review provides asystematic overview of this research. We searched three different databases for articles on these issuesand inspected relevant reference lists. In all, 113 articles met our inclusion criteria. The most robust resultis that athletic performance seems to be best in the evening around the time when the core bodytemperature typically is at its peak. Sleep deprivation was negatively associated with performancewhereas sleep extension seems to improve performance. The effects of desynchronization of circadianrhythms depend on the local time at which performance occurs. The review includes a discussion ofdifferences regarding types of skills involved as well as methodological issues.


Having said all that, I'd say there are much bigger things affecting your performance, sufficient rest, diet, sticking to training program, training at a high level of intensity etc. etc. that are going to have a higher impact.