Work out right after waking?

Question

I find that after about 12, I get really caught up in whatever I'm doing and can't really keep a set work out schedule. So, I really want to be able to get it over with in the morning, but a Vocalist friend tells me it takes 2 hrs for the body to fully awaken. Does this mean that I won't be in good physical condition in the morning? If so, how long should I wait for? I know that the forced fasting overnight is responsible for some level of fatigue, but I'm asking whether or not there is a recovery period after you wake up.

Thanks!

Answer 1

It's certainly true that first thing in the morning your body is in shut down mode.  Your blood sugar levels are low.  If you start exercising then the body has to try and catch up with that, so your performance is probably not as good as it might be later in the day and in theory your body is likely to start converting muscle into energy before it starts to convert fat.

In practice though, this doesn't really seem to be an issue.  Most military forces like PT first thing in the morning and it seems to work for them, and other people who exercise first thing claim not to have issues with muscle loss.

If you are concerned then I'd suggest either some form of energy drink first, or to eat and to wait at least half an hour before starting your workout, you certainly don't need to wait two hours.