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Do you want to exercise in the evening? Better not

Do you want to exercise in the evening? Better not

Do you also like to grab a good workout session on a late summer evening and then go to bed? You better not do that.

Sports in the evening

But why is it not recommended to exercise late? Sports doctor Kasper Janssen tells NU.nl:"Athletes then go to bed later, do not fall into a deep sleep well, so that the quality of their sleep is less and they are not fully recovered the next day. This can manifest itself in longer-lasting muscle pain.”

Cortisol, melatonin and body temperature

Falling into a deep sleep is important for muscle recovery, allowing athletes to perform optimally. If you exercise late, you also produce more stress hormones (cortisol), which ensures that the body becomes alert. “The bright stadium light also does not help, as it can cause the sleep hormone melatonin to be suppressed, so that athletes can fall asleep less quickly once they return to the hotel room,” says sleep expert Els van der Helm.

During exercise your body temperature naturally also rises, but to be able to sleep well it is necessary that this body temperature cools down again. This can take up to a few hours after exercise.

So if you have a choice, it's better to do your workout during the day rather than late at night.

Read also:With these workouts you train nice round buttocks

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