Art De Vany: Morning workouts

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Morning workouts

May 17, 2005 05:47 PM

Alexander asks a question on when to work out.

"Is a morning workout more due to lifestyle/preference or is there some reasoning that suggests we workout better on an empty stomach?"

Then he makes this wonderful observation: "The only link I can think of (between activity on an empty stomach in the morning) is the evolutionary one. That is that most of the day's activity must have happened during hunting/foraging and that prior to it food was either unavailable, or severely limited to feed the whole family (I assume that HGs would eat in groups) and waiting to be consumed along with the day's hunt."

First, morning workouts. For me they work better, I can get to the gym more reliably, and they set up my day as they make me relaxed and comfortable to be working at a desk (when I used to do that as a Professor). But, there are some physiological reasons as well. You can go at it a bit harder on an empty stomach. I find it hard to work out hard in the afternoon any time after a meal.

On a more physiological note. Body builders in the old days used to carry a bucket to throw up in during their workouts. There is a reason for this, which was not known at the time. If you release large amounts of hGH (growth hormone) you can become nauseous. It would be better not to have food there to regurgitate when you do work out hard enough to become nauseous (I almost always have a slight feeling of nausea sometime during a workout). So, a fasting overnight workout may avoid these problems.

But, an even better reason for morning workouts is physiological. The overnight fast releases hGH and the morning workout is a nice bonus to this hGH. So, you metabolize fat at a high rate during and after the workout. Arnold says morning workouts are best and I agree. But that doesn't keep me from working out whenever I feel like it.

A caution: when you work out in the morning you have to let your heart get used to the load. It is a bit of a shock, which is good but only up to a point. So, build the load to let your heart adapt. A lot of people die every morning going to the bathroom. Their hearts have not gotten going and they strain to eliminate and close their glottus, particularly if they are constipated. This denies blood to the heart and they keel over. Constipation can kill.

As to Alexander's conjecture I can only say you have the reasoning pretty much down. Something like activity in the morning with little food seems like it would be close to the norm. It may consist of morning gathering before the males go out on the hunt. If there were left-over food from the previous day's activities it would tend to be meat from a successful, large kill (which would attract predators) or some remainder from the gathering of the previous day.

But, I don't know any research on this and one always has to avoid the ex post kind of reasoning that can make perfect evolutionary explanations for things that may be quite ordinary.

· Evolutionary Fitness

Comments

Posted by: Flower Online at September 12, 2006 7:17 AM

Hello,

Would it be possible to get approval for your site? I came across your name when reading a book called "Fooled by Randomness". I am in the investment industry and spend a great deal of time in an office reading but also take various breaks to exercise. I began reading your site a few days ago and can not stop. I have read nearly all of the Evolutionary Fitness archives and am currently reading Insulin and Its Metabolic Effects from Dr. Mercola's website. I have read the first chapter of your book and can not wait until it is finished. I was also curious as to your opinion on a few issues but the most important is the use of Ritalin or similar products. I am trying to find a natural alternative but have not as of yet. I have just begun incorporating your ideas and am very grateful for the work you have done.

Posted by: kenny at March 10, 2006 11:09 AM

Dear Professor Vany,

I recently came across your essay, “Evolutionary Fitness”. Congratulations for such a superb work. I am looking forward to reading your book when it comes out.

While I am waiting for your book, I need some advice from you if you have the time. I am a 59 year old (5’6” tall weighing 135 pounds) Indian male and a busy professional. I will consider my health above average while my doctors consider it excellent. You know how low is doctors’ standard of health. I have not been sick since 1978 (when I had suffered from hepatitis A (Jaundice) which is very common in India.) except for occasional colds which were also mild. For the last few years it seems the cold viruses too have given up on me. So I don’t get colds any more. My annual medical tests show all in the so-called “normal” range.

I try to eat healthy, mostly vegetables, fish, chicken, some meat and some grains. I am still trying to get rid of grains altogether. Since the early eighties I have been following a very irregular exercise program based on two books (now out of print) by Late Dr. Lawrence Morehouse (founder of the UCLA Human Performance Lab): “Total Fitness in 30 Minutes a Week” and “Maximum Performance”. I actually never followed his advice 100 percent. But went back to his books from time to time for guidance. For several years I had jogged on grass from one to three times a week for about 20 to 25 minutes and sometimes for a longer period.

Then I came across Dr. Irving Dardik’s writing on exercise (you must be familiar with his LifeWaves theory) and began to rethink. Finding his method difficult to follow (especially the biorhythm part) I switched to rebounding (on exercise trampoline). I chose rebounding because jumping with some weights in hands and/or arms I can have almost a whole body workout, although moderate. And it saves tremendous amount of time and hassle. I can do it right out of bed in the morning and no preparation or dressing up is necessary. After warming up for a few minutes I jump at top speed for a few seconds (maybe 20 to 30 seconds) then I slow down and focus on upper body (moving it in all possible ways while jumping on trampoline with some weights in my hands). I repeat it a couple of times. Then I move my head in all direction while resisting its movement with my hands alternately. At the end I jump as fast as I can for 20/30 seconds and then stop abruptly and sit down to rest. I got this last idea of stopping abruptly from Dr. Dardik who thinks it trains your heart to recover faster which he says is the most important goal of exercise.

I never went to a gym in my entire life and do not plan to. Although I envy you, I am not ambitious enough to want a perfect body like yours. I just want to prolong my healthy life as much as possible. I am involved in a lot of rewarding works that keep me extremely busy, but tension free, and give me tremendous happiness. So what would you advise me? How can I, and other busy people like me, incorporate your exercise philosophy into our situation? What would be time wise the most cost effective way to do it?
Thanks.
Wazir

Posted by: Wazir Sain at June 6, 2005 9:21 PM

Art,As a hunter, the ideal time to go out is before dawn. I hunt turkey and deer, both are early morning animals, which is why I like to get positioned before the sun rises. Do I work out first thing in the AM? I have tried it, my preference is later in the morning after my body has totally "awakened". Frankly, unless I need to go a long distance, hiking to get to a position is not all that strenuous, and then it is waiting for the animal. So from an evolutionary standpoint, getting to a hunting position early in the morning may be our "workout" time, but after killing the animal,the real workout is dragging, carrying and dressing it for dinner, which could happen anywhere from 10 minutes to hours after you start. By the way, there is no comparision between fresh meat and the one hunted at the store.

Posted by: Audley WIlliams at May 19, 2005 10:01 AM

Chris:

You can't eat more than 30% protein regularly without damaging your kidneys and maybe your liver. Ammonia poisoning is extremely dangerous.

Please do a search of the archives to find some of my earlier comments on height and longevity. Whatever you do, don't jog.
You carry a rather high blood column as a tall person and your heart has a bit more work to do than the heart of a shorter person. The vasular system is a space-filling fractal and yours has a bit more space to fill so it won't be quite as efficient in aerobid work, but every bit as efficient in anaerobic work.

Posted by: Arthur De Vany at May 18, 2005 8:04 PM

Kevin:

Whatever works for you. Right now, because of personal schedules and not having to work as a Professor, I work out whenever I feel like it. Some mornings, the time just doesn't feel right.

Posted by: Arthur De Vany at May 18, 2005 7:59 PM

Art, I would like to hear your thoughs on height and heart strain. I am a 6'8 individual, and I've heard all too often that very tall people die young. Could you expain the science behind this?

Also, what are your thoughts on large amounts of protein for muscle building reasons?

Thanks.

Posted by: Chris at May 18, 2005 3:54 PM

Art,

Not sure that I agree. I have been working out in the morning for the past decade due to family and work constraints. If I don't prioritize the wrkout and get it done first thing, it tends not to get done. However, whenever I workout midday or afternoon I find that I am stronger in all my exercises. From an evolutionary standpoint I have speculayed that our lack of hair and ability to sweat has provided man with the opportunity to hunt during the hottest part of the day when prey is inactive an unable to bear up to the elements as well as we and that this is our strongest time during the day vis a vis our prey. I understand the GH response issues with respect to working out on an empty stomach and this be be an adaptation due to inordinate exertion at a less than opportune time of the day for which we have evolved.

This blog has now moved up my knowledge chain and is read prior to the Wall Street Journal each day. Keep up the good work.

Posted by: Kevin Mullins at May 18, 2005 8:21 AM

Morning workouts

May 17, 2005 05:47 PM

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