Can you exercise in the evening? After 10 p.m.

The evening is sometimes the only time when you can do your planned workout. If you exercise late in the day, and if your workout is preceded by hard physical or mental work, it is extremely important to protect yourself against the effects of potential ‘overloading’ of the body with exertion, which can not only cause fainting during activity, but also worsen your physical and mental well-being in the long term.

1. The impact of late-night training on the body
2. Should evening workouts be avoided?
3. How to mitigate the effects of exercising late?

The impact of late-night training on the body

Disrupting the natural circadian cycle of hormone and neurotransmitter secretion is widely considered unhealthy. Factors such as shift work, prolonged viewing of television, computer or smartphone screens, stimulant use, and intense physical exercise can lead to such disruptions.

Training that begins after 10 p.m. means not only extending the natural waking time, but also stimulating the secretion of certain stimulating compounds in the body, i.e. neurohormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Under physiological conditions, they are responsible, among other things, for waking up in the morning and responding to situations that threaten safety.

They are opposed to another neurohormone, melatonin, which is still sensitive to the effect of light on the retina. Melatonin is known as the sleep hormone and has strong antioxidant properties. It not only regulates our well-being during the day, but also indirectly protects us against certain cancers and glucose-insulin disorders, for example. In addition to its potential impact on neurohormones, evening physical activity can also affect heart rate variability, which is an indirect indicator of sympathetic nervous system activation.

Should evening workouts be avoided?

If the evening is the only time to get your body moving after a day of sitting, then you should not avoid exercise altogether. It is important that these workouts are not very high in intensity or long in duration. You should not aim to break records or push your endurance limits during these workouts. In the case of late-evening workouts, light strength or endurance exercises lasting no longer than 45-60 minutes, occurring no more than 2-3 times a week, should be the minimum compensation for the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. A set of exercises resembling yoga is recommended here rather than cross-fit.

How to mitigate the effects of exercising late?

Late-night workouts and their inhibitory effect on the secretion of the so-called sleep hormone can be mitigated to some extent. One of the most effective ways is to use dietary supplements that promote the suppression of nervous system activity before bedtime, as well as melatonin itself. In addition to melatonin, saffron, valerian and the amino acid GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) may also be useful. It is also important to replenish carbohydrate and electrolyte reserves, especially magnesium.