What Time Should I Run In The Morning?

According to Hollywood, pounding the pavement during the early hours of dawn is the hallmark of two categories of people:

1. Those that truly have it all, i.e., manage to look like super-hot actors, be successful doctors or lawyers and have a thriving social life.
2. The tortured insomniac searching for divine wisdom or at least oblivion as they attempt to outrun their nightmares.

Hopefully, you're in the first category, but either way, this article is here to guide you on choosing the best time to run in the morning.

The best time to run in the morning is 7:00 am after consuming a small breakfast. Night owls should plan a light wake-up run for 7:00 am, saving their intense training sessions for later in the day. Morning larks need to plan their intensive runs between 5:00 am, and 9:00 am.

The morning hours are the time of expectant magic; the crisp breeze, sleepy peace, and breathless promise of the rising sun bear witness to a day of unlimited possibilities. However, getting yourself out of bed to enjoy these solitary hours is a challenge! Knowing when is the best time to run impacts your commitment to morning exercise and your mental and physical performance before and after the run.

Running For Weight Loss, What’s The Best Time?

Conventional wisdom would have you believe that not only do you have to suffer through an early morning run, but you have to do so on an empty stomach in order to lose weight.

Thankfully, a 2014 study effectively debunked this hellish myth! These wonderful scientists found no difference in weight loss between individuals who ate breakfast before running versus those who did not.

In fact, two independent studies (2013 and 2015) found that eating a small breakfast before running resulted in decreased mental fatigue, improved appetite control, and a calmer, happier mood, i.e., factors that predict successful weight loss.

However, running after skipping breakfast caused persistent mental fatigue and stress, even when the runners consumed a mid-morning post-exercise snack. Either breakfast or running alone isn't as good. Eating breakfast without exercise increased late-day tension and negatively impacted mental performance.

Consume a small breakfast before running to get the most out of your day.

Morning Lark, Night Owl, Honouring Your Circadian Rhythm

Circadian rhythms refer to the 24-hour sleep-wake cycle that dictates when and how human bodies and minds transition between different states of alertness. Each person has a unique circadian rhythm dictated by genetics, age, and social behaviors.

Early risers, also known as morning larks, demonstrate an early-rising circadian rhythm phenotype. The genetic predisposition of Larks for early-rising explains why some people wake up before the sun, roll out of bed and salute the day with clear-headed alertness.

The diametric opposite of a morning lark is a night owl; these late-rising individuals are inherently wired for the night hours and face each morning with a bleary-eyed grumpiness. As a night owl, I can attest to the fact that between 5:00 am and 9:00 am, I have less mental acuity than a rock!

Run According To Your Circadian Rhythm

You may be wondering how your circadian rhythm relates to morning runs, but do not fear; I have not disappeared down an exciting but irrelevant rabbit hole. Individual circadian rhythm phenotypes dictate when you will achieve peak physical and mental performance and thus influence when is the best time to run.

A 2018 study investigated athletes' physical and mental performance according to their circadian rhythm phenotypes. Peak mental and physical performance was achieved within the first few hours of entrained waking (i.e., voluntary waking) for morning larks and approximately 12.6 hours after waking for night owls.

Forcing night owls to wake earlier than expected or perform physical or mental activities during the first few hours post-waking results in:

1. Increased sleepiness
2. Decreased executive functions (i.e., thinking, planning, problem-solving, etc.),
3. Reduced physical performance
4. Impaired cognitive vigilance

Professional runners and running coaches should account for the runner's circadian rhythm when planning a training program. To get the most out of a running program, late circadian rhythm phenotypes should run in the early evening while early circadian rhythm phenotypes should plan their most intensive training periods for the first 4 hours after waking, i.e., 5:00 am to 9:00 am.

Tweaking Your Circadian Rhythm

Few people have the luxury of adapting their lifestyles and schedules to fit with their circadian rhythm. I don’t think your boss or teacher will consider your “Night Owl” circadian rhythm a valid excuse for tardiness!

One of the best methods to “tweak” your circadian rhythm into a more socially acceptable timeframe is through morning exercise. A new study has found that running at specific times in the day can advance your peak performance time, i.e., shift the circadian rhythm a few hours forward or backward.

Running at 7:00 am and between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm can advance the circadian rhythm, while running at 4:00 pm, 2:00 am, and between 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm delays the circadian rhythm.

Early morning risers should plan their most intense running training for 7:00 am. Night owls need to schedule a gentle wake-up run for 7:00 am and save their intense training session for late afternoon or early evening when they achieve peak performance.

Structuring their training in this way allows night owls to shift their peak brain performance forward by a few hours without exhausting themselves by trying to fight the dictates of genetics.

Factors Influencing The Best Time To Run In The Mornings

1. The sun's ultraviolet rays are harshest between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm, so always schedule your runs for early morning and aim to be done by 10:00 am.
2. Run in well-lit conditions (i.e., wait until the sun has risen and motorists can easily spot a runner) and always wear high-visibility gear.
3. For your safety, wait until more people have started to wake up – the more people going about their daily activities, the less likely you are to be mugged or attacked.
4. Monitor the weather; don’t go out running in extreme conditions. Except for Chuck Norris, no one is so hardcore they need to flirt with heat stroke or hypothermia!

Summary

Morning runs can offer many advantages; a light 7:00 am run can make late-risers more productive during the day, while an intensive 7:00 am training session capitalizes on the peak performance hours of morning larks.

Timing your run according to your circadian rhythm will influence your physical performance during the run and your mood, energy levels, and mental performance for the remainder of the day.

Eating a light breakfast before exercise is the best weight-loss strategy as it leads to improved mental acuity, appetite control, and mood. These factors are directly related to an individual's compliance, persistence, and success with losing weight.