You should probably train at the same time of day as your event.

[Patrick Yeung]

Thought these may be interesting for you all to read.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...ubmed_RVDocSum (WFS)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether metabolic and cardiorespiratory adaptations to exercise training are greater at the time of day of training than at another time. Twenty-seven subjects performed cycle ergometer tests in the morning (AM) and in the afternoon (PM) before and after a 6-wk period during which ten subjects trained regularly in the morning, seven subjects trained in the afternoon, and ten did not train. Training caused decreases in HR, VE, and rating of perceived exertion during submaximal exercise; a 7.7% increase (p less than 0.01) in VO2 max; and a 9.1% increase (p less than 0.01) in performance time. Adaptations (training effects) were independent of time of day of training for all variables except VO2 at the ventilatory threshold. Compared with each other, subjects who trained in the morning had relatively higher post-training thresholds in the morning, while subjects who trained in the afternoon had relatively higher values in the afternoon (p less than 0.05). This is evidence of circadian specificity in training and supports the notion of planning physical preparation to coincide with the time of day at which one's critical performance is scheduled.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9526893?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.P ubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pu bmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&l ogdbfrom=pubmed (WFS)

OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to test the hypothesis that time to exhaustion and oxygen deficit in high-intensity exercise at a particular time of day would be influenced by training regularly at that time of day. METHODS: Over a 5-wk period, 12 college-age women performed 20 high-intensity exercise training sessions. On Mondays, they performed four 2-min bouts of cycling at 2.5 W x kg(-1) with 4-min recoveries; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, eight 1-min bouts at 3.0 W x kg(-1) with 2-min recoveries; and on Wednesdays, three 3-min bouts at 2.2 W x kg(-1) with 2-min recoveries. Six participants (a.m.-trained group) were randomly assigned to train in the morning (a.m.) and six others (p.m.-trained group) trained in the afternoon (p.m.). Upon completion of training, all participants were tested in both the a.m. and p.m. (random order) at the same times as training sessions had been scheduled. Tests involved exhaustive efforts at 2.6 W x kg(-1). RESULTS: Results of a repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant time of day of training x time of day of testing interaction effect on time to exhaustion (F1,10=8.29, P=0.02). This suggested that the time of day of training affected the a.m.-p.m. pattern in time to exhaustion. Time to exhaustion for the a.m.-trained group was 398+/-258 s in the a.m. test and 351+/-216 s in the p.m. test (P=0.07). The p.m.-trained group had significantly higher values in the p.m. test compared with the a.m. test (422+/-252 s vs 373+/-222 s; P=0.03). There was also a significant interaction effect on oxygen deficit (F1,10=8.03, P=0.02). This suggested that the time of day of training affected the a.m.-p.m. pattern in anaerobic capacity. Oxygen deficit for the a.m.-trained group was 64+/-24 mL x kg(-1) in the a.m. test and 50+/-11 mL x kg(-1) in the p.m. test (P=0.10). The p.m.-trained group had significantly higher values in the p.m. tests (64+/-24 mL x kg(-1) vs 50+/-11 mL x kg(-1); P=0.01) compared to the a.m. tests. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that there is temporal specificity in training to increase work capacity in high-intensity exercise. Greater improvements can be expected to occur at the time of day at which high-intensity training is regularly performed.

[George Mounce]

Originally Posted by Patrick Yeung

Thought these may be interesting for you all to read.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...ubmed_RVDocSum (WFS)



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9526893?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.P ubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pu bmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&l ogdbfrom=pubmed (WFS)

So what does this mean for those of us who train at all times of the day based on an ever revolving schedule? We are just badass anytime of day?

[Garrett Smith]

I think this means that metcon workouts will have to become all-day-long marathons, to properly cover all the time domains. Either that, or a "Fran every hour on the hour".

Or it just means that specificity, when it can be planned for, will nearly always trump general/haphazard training.

[George Mounce]

Originally Posted by Garrett Smith

Either that, or a "Fran every hour on the hour".

I seriously just spit my water all over my keyboard, ROFL.

[Mike ODonnell]

Makes sense....as my body does not want to lift anything in the AM....but works better in the PM....just the way I am....and always played sports at night growing up....hated those 6am skates for hockey.....useless during those.

[Patrick Yeung]

Yeah, I always hated those 6am water polo practices too...

Nothing jumping into freezing water in the morning to get you up though.