Scientific approach: under what conditions do you burn the most calories?

Calorie burning in our body is affected by many things – working out, going out with friends, and generally any activity during the day. But the internal system also works around the clock, and even if you lie around all day doing nothing, the body will spend energy on breathing, blood circulation, and digestion. Scientists have found that these expenditures are not equal.

How was the study conducted?

The study by Harvard scientists involved volunteers who spent three weeks in a closed room with no windows or natural light. Since all watches and devices were confiscated, the participants didn’t know what time of day it was. They could only orient themselves by how they felt.

Each subsequent day, they went to bed four hours later. The experts monitored how many calories were burned in the participants’ bodies at rest at different times of the day and night. Since the bedtime and wake-up time changed every day, the scientists were able to trace the energy expenditure schedule.

What are the results?

The experiment showed that the body was less active in the morning than in the evening, while in the afternoon the body burns 10% more calories at rest than at midnight.

About 130 calories a person expends without additional effort in the middle of the day. And, despite the universal belief that all the most delicious things you can afford for breakfast, eat a pastry or drink a cup of cappuccino with syrup is better at lunch. According to study co-author Jean Muffy, it is at this time that the body will more efficiently turn calories into energy.

What does it depend on?

Scientists decided that it’s all about circadian rhythms, which control our biological clock. The participants were not oriented to the time, the body worked exclusively according to these internal circadian rhythms. Each of them wore a special sensor that measured important vital signs, including body temperature. This is what allowed the scientists to determine energy expenditure. More calories are burned when the temperature rises.

For whom does this matter?

The results of the study especially affect people with shift and night work schedules. It is equally important for “owls” who are used to staying awake at night. Disturbances in circadian rhythms affect health first and foremost. It can lead to such consequences as diabetes, obesity, cancer.

Interestingly, the time of spending the most energy varies individually (from 12 hours for to 6 pm). Scientists have determined that despite the general timing of the study, it is important to adjust to your internal biorhythms, and the body will be guided solely by them.