Jogging before breakfast will not necessarily increase performance, according to Professor Ingo Froboese from the Centre for Health at the German Sport High School.
The reason is because, just like at night, our bodies are still breaking down fats in the morning hours. “When training on an empty stomach, fat metabolism only remains active until the body’s sugar reserves are used up.” When that point is reached, the body’s performance rate falls and you will be forced to end training. If you must go jogging early in the morning, then you should at least eat a food high in carbohydrate such as a banana.
However, Froboese recommends eating breakfast first and then engaging in some weightlifting to build muscles. “That activates the body and will make it fit for the rest of the day,” he says. Weight training raises pressure in the peripheral blood vessels and increases the overall blood pressure in the body, thus making you more alert.
An endurance exercise such as jogging makes more sense in the evening, according to Froboese. Moderate jogging relaxes the body and can have a meditative effect. Stop exercising at least two hours before going to bed in order to guarantee a restful night’s sleep.
