This is the time of the day when you burn most calories: Study

After reading the headline, many of you may have rolled your eyes. Is it even a question to ask? We all think we burn the maximum calories during our workout session. Right?
If you are all nodding ‘yes’ you are WRONG!

The time we burn the maximum calories is not the time when we workout hard in the gym but when we sleep in the afternoon or early evening.

How is this possible?
The circadian rhythm, which is our body’s internal clock dictates most of our day. It tells you when you are hungry, when you want to sleep or are tired. Likewise, our body’s clock also determines the time of the day when we burn the most calories, irrespective of the fact whether you are resting or moving, says a new study.

The study
A study published in Current Biology found out that when we are resting during late afternoon or early evening, our body burns 10 percent more calories as compared to the morning time. So, next time do not feel guilty when you hit an afternoon slump!

The findings of the study reinforced the important role of circadian rhythm in regulating our metabolism. The study also shed some light on those who have irregular sleep schedules due to night shifts and other related factors. These people are more likely to gain weight as compared to the people who sleep at night.

To study the changes in metabolism throughout the day without the effects of the dietary habits, activity level, and sleep patterns, researchers studied seven participants for a month in a laboratory, which had no windows or clocks. Participants did not have access to the internet or phones and were given the schedule of when to sleep, eat or wake up.

Every night the participants slept four hours later than the night before. This mimicked what a person would feel while traveling across westward in a week. This left the body to keep its own time without relying on the cues from the outside world, which allowed the researchers to measure the metabolic rate at the different biological time of the day.

The result

Participants burned fewer calories in the late biological night than 12 hours later in the biological afternoon. At night, there is a drop in the body temperature, which may be the reason for lesser calories burn.

Verdict

Though the study was small, it clearly proved how our body’s circadian rhythm influences metabolism. And, not to forget, maintaining a normal sleep schedule is an important part of overall good health and weight loss.

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