Whether is a high-performance cyclist or is someone who loves to pedal, maybe you’ve asked yourself the best hour to ride your bike? Well, we are going to answer that question…
It doesn’t matter if you’re reading this in the morning, afternoon or at night, take your bike and prepare to stretch those muscles. Ready? Let’s go.
Is it better to cycle in the morning, afternoon or at night?
Before than anything, you must know all depends on our free time or the available time we have to exercise. We know that between work and household tasks is difficult to find the ideal hour to ride. For that, the following explanation will depend on the availability of our day and routine.
But, don’t discourage… every moment of the day has their benefits and properties; but it exists a specific hour that experts recommend. In order to know it, stay with us a bit longer, our journey just started…
Now, to know what hour is the best one to have physical activity, we must consider our circadian rhythm. In other words, the one in charge of our physical, mental, behavior, sleep and activity functions.
An easier way to understand it, let’s say: have you noticed that at certain hour you feel sleepy? Or that at certain moments of the day you have more or less energy? That’s your biological clock or your circadian rhythm, as you prefer to call it.
Now you have this information and you are conscious about your rhythms lets continue:
Cycling in the morning
When waking up, body has greater levels of testosterone and cortisol, both hormones accelerate metabolism and stimulate synthesis of glucose. This is a good reason to cycle in morning and optimize the benefit from these functions.
Other released hormones are dopamine, endorphin and serotonin, associated directly with happiness. This will help to start the day with less stress and anxiety. In addition, your muscles will be relaxed.
Even though is a controversial practice, if you want to loss weight, some experts recommend to do exercise before breakfast, this is due body will burn carbs. However, is also recommended to get an abundant dinner to keep that energy when waking up.
Benefits of cycling during afternoon
For those who have problems to wake up early, another option is to exercise during afternoon. Going out during or before sunset will give you several benefits.
One of them is being far from sleeping hours, so you’re more active. In addition, the body temperature is higher than sunrise, and that isn’t bat, but positive, why? Because body doesn’t need a rigorous or prolonged warm up before exercise. In this way, reduces the risk of muscular injuries.
Likewise, for these reasons and others, such as being more active and awake in afternoon than night. Different analysis had shown that sport performance increase to a 10% at this moment of the day.
Benefits of cycling during night
Cycling during night also has its benefits. In most of cases the main one is the moment after work to have time for yourself.
Cycling during night help to consume accumulated energies to the moment. This influence in a better rest. Likewise, pedal help to relax muscles, releasing stress and other psychological benefits of cycling.
Nevertheless, is recommended to train or ride at considerable hours of the night, helping body to have enough time to relax before going to sleep.
But, with all that information, what is the best hour for cycling?
Considering all these, is clear that the best hour is the one that suits you the best. However, according to these parameters, specialists confirm that in fact, exist an ideal schedule.
And the hour is from 17:00 hours to 19:00 hours. This is the ideal lapse due body has enough energy to be burn. Likewise, when finishing, there’s enough time for muscles to relax and have an optimal rest.
Despite that, and all the analyzes is important to find your own rhythm, time and space to pedal. What is truly important is being constant.
Finally, remember that exist separated bike ways that will help to pedal safe at any moment of the day. Use the available cyclist infrastructure and have a better ride or training.
See you next time. Ride safe.
