With Coach Kelvin, offering Online Running Coaching for We Run and the We Run Virtual Running Club, and 1:1 Running Coach for Leeds and surrounding areas.
Introduction: A Common Runner’s Question
In this little video, I’m going to share some thoughts on a question that I get asked on a fairly regular basis – and that is, when in the day is the best time to train?
The Simple Answer? It Depends
Same as a lot of things – it depends. It depends when a runner can train. Can a runner actually get out in the morning if that’s the best time to train? Can a runner get out in the evening if that’s the best time to train?
Performance and Recovery Considerations
There are some considerations we should be mindful of.
Training late afternoon tends to be when the body is more optimised for performance, for a number of reasons. And training in the morning gives the body more chance of recovery because we get to move around, eat, and drink fluids.
Somebody might say, “Oh well, training in the evening, then I’ve got to sleep – and that’s recovery.” Sleep is really good for recovery. It’s part of the big picture.
Fuel Before and After Training Matters
One of the most important things is having some fuel in the system before exercise, and then getting some fuel in after exercise and movement.
It might be that the optimum time to train is about two hours after breakfast – which isn’t possible for most people because they’ve got to go to work.
So what we tend to recommend is either a small breakfast or a small amount of carbohydrate before training and then training in the morning.
A Shift in My Thinking
I’ve actually changed my thoughts on this over the last year. And that was coming from something another coach said, which I took on board and thought, “That’s a really fair point,” and did a little bit of reading in this area.
I always used to say I would prefer a runner to train in the evening rather than training in the morning where they might have to get up an hour earlier to do that workout. I was thinking you may as well get that extra hour of sleep – that’s better for recovery.
But there are some thoughts that actually, you’re better off getting up that hour early, having a small amount of carbohydrate, doing the workout, then eating, drinking, being on your feet for the day, and then getting the night’s sleep.
Downsides of Evening Training
If we exercise too late, it’s really difficult to time our meals. We don’t want a big meal before exercise.
Maybe someone gets home from work at half six, maybe runs from seven until eight, lets things settle down, gets a shower – and then they’re eating at half past eight. That’s quite late. That could actually affect the quality of sleep to a certain degree.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t an exact science. It’s a little bit more about when people can exercise. But I just thought I’d share this because I’ve actually changed my thought process a little bit on it.
As long as someone’s not getting up at three o’clock in the morning to do a workout, it’s probably advisable to get up early and do the workout in the morning so we have the day to recover, rather than exercising late.
I hope that makes some sort of sense. And if you’ve got any questions, please pop them in the comments below.
And for now, happy running.
