Welcome back to the Daily Dumbbell, we're like your sherpa guiding you up the mountain. We’ll do all the heavy lifting, the time consuming scouting, and point out the dangerous spots along the way. But don't worry, we won't talk shit about you behind your back.

Today we’re putting the time of day you workout under the microscope. Should you workout in the morning? Or do you need to wait til the afternoon for better results?

As a bonus, we’ve packed this one full of memes.

Let’s dive in!

Circadian Rhythm? I Hardly Knew em!

Is it better to workout in the morning or the afternoon?

It’s a question we’ve fielded many times. The boring answer? You’re asking the wrong question.

When are you most likely to be consistent with your workouts?  
Ok great; Workout then.

You can’t optimize a routine that isn’t consistent. If flipping your schedule causes you to stress and miss more workouts…You’ve done the exact opposite of what you set out to do.

But you already know all that. YOU are asking because you’re on top of your game. You’re a badass fitness fanatic trying to squeeze a little more juice out of that fitness orange. We see you, and we respect the hustle.

What does the research say? 

This is one of those rather strange situations where the research seems pretty clear. You’re going to get better results working out in the afternoon rather than first thing in the morning.

This study: Cardio & Endurance performance. Meta analysis of 31 research studies. Showed a significant difference in working out in the afternoon vs the am.

This study: Showed some interesting differences between the sexes.

• Among women: the AM workout group reduced abdominal fat and lowered their blood pressure. Whereas the PM group had better performance with resistance training.

• For the men: the PM workout group had an increase in fat oxidation and reduced their systolic BP as well as their perceived fatigue. .

Takeaways

Working out in the afternoon increases performance in both endurance and resistance training. You can get your heart rate higher and the perceived level of fatigue seems lower.

VO2 Max was the only thing that didn’t seem to be better in the afternoon. But that makes sense because most of the performance benefits come from your body being warmed up and ready to workout by afternoon.

VO2 Max is just based on oxygen levels that wouldn’t be impacted all that much by those other factors.

Speaking of, let’s break down those other factors:

1. Body temperature: Our body temperature naturally rises throughout the day, peaking in the late afternoon or early evening. Higher body temperatures are associated with increased muscle flexibility, better muscle strength, and improved reaction times, all of which contribute to better workout performance.

2. Hormone levels: Hormones such as cortisol and testosterone, which play a role in energy levels and muscle growth, fluctuate throughout the day. Testosterone levels tend to be higher in the late afternoon, which can positively impact strength and performance. Cortisol is typically higher in the morning and gradually decreases as the day progresses.

3. Alertness and energy levels: Many people feel more alert and energetic later in the day, as they've had time to fully wake up and consume meals that provide energy. This increased alertness can lead to better focus and motivation during workouts.

4. Circadian rhythm: Our internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, can also impact workout performance. Research suggests that strength, power, and anaerobic performance tend to be at their peak in the late afternoon, coinciding with the body's natural rhythm.

5. Warm-up effect: By the afternoon, most people have been moving around and are more warmed up compared to the morning. This natural warm-up can help improve performance during workouts, as the muscles and joints are more prepared for physical activity.

But again, this all begs the question. How much does this matter? If you get a 10% performance boost by running or working out in the afternoon but you don’t go as often because it’s harder or because you don’t like it… was it worth it?

Bottom Line: 

At the end of the day, this isn’t a big enough game changer that merits flipping your entire schedule on its head. If you can only workout in the mornings, don’t lose any sleep over the potential gains you’re leaving on the table.

Many people love morning workouts. They feel it gives them energy throughout the day. We prefer coffee, but you do you.

If you do workout in the mornings, maybe take an extra 5-10 minutes to warmup and get the blood flowing. Otherwise, don’t really worry about it.

Once again, it’s all about consistency.

Sleep Shack: That’s Where it’s At

Last week we introduced you to Bryan Johnson and released V1 of our very own Blueprint for living a healthy life and guess what? Sleep took the number one spot on the podium!

But is sleep really that much more crucial than nutrition and exercise?

We'd rather not rank these three essentials in order of importance. They're like the Holy Trinity of wellness! And you don’t see people ranking… well, never mind.

However, if you were to disregard one of these three pillars completely, sleep would be the most catastrophic for your overall health.

Picture this: sleep, nutrition, and exercise are like the foundation, walls, and roof of a house. While all three components are essential for building a solid and comfortable home, it's the foundation – or sleep – that bears the most weight. Without a strong foundation, you can’t build the house very high and if you try… it might collapse.

If your nutrition is subpar and you don't exercise, you’ll survive. Modern medicine and society's structure to a degree, will all keep you afloat, allowing you to live a normal, albeit shortened life.

Our bodies have evolved a system of credits and debits for food. You have days worth of energy stored on your body right now. If you overeat one day you can balance that out the next day and it’s all a wash. It’s quite well designed.

Our bodies also adapt to exercise. We do more of it, we get fitter. We do less of it and we slowly lose those adaptations.

Neither is true of sleep. We can’t bank it and while we think our bodies adapt to poor sleep, it does not. Our mind tricks us into thinking we’re doing ok, but in reality our performance is suffering.

We all believe we’re the exception though. So here’s 76 studies testing this very thing. 55 showed definitive impairment.

In a way, sleep sets the stage for everything else. It doesn’t get the shine of exercise and diet because the upside isn’t as exciting. You don’t become a superhuman when you get enough sleep, you just don’t feel like shit. And therein lies the problem.

We all know exercise can transform our bodies for the better. And we all know which foods make us feel awful and which makes us feel good. Hitting the gym and maintaining a balanced diet can change your appearance, boost your quality of life, and even extend your lifespan.

But it all starts with sleep.

A good night's rest is the foundation that supports every other aspect of your health journey. Ensuring that you consistently get quality sleep enables you to build upon the other two pillars: exercise and nutrition. And when all three work in harmony, the sky's the limit for your overall well-being.

Hope you enjoyed today’s newsletter! Have a fantastic Thursday and come back tomorrow for our Friday Feature! It’s a good one.

And as always, if you’re enjoying the newsletter. Share it with someone in your life you think might like it too!