Performing physical activity in the morning, between 8:00 and 11:00 am, appears to be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke, in adults than engaging in physical activity at other times of the day, a recent study has shown.

Previous studies have shown that a possible influence of the timing of physical activity, particularly in the morning, can lead to better cardiovascular health, said the researchers.

“The present study adds to the previous evidence that timing of physical activity is an additional independent contributing factor to CVD risk, and therefore adds a novel dimension to CVD risk prevention,” the researchers noted.

“Physical activity is an important stepping stone to healthy ageing, and it remains one of the most distinct cornerstones in CVD prevention,” they added.

Using data from the UK Biobank, the researchers conducted a large, population-based, prospective cohort study involving 86,657 adults (mean age 61.6 years, 57.6 percent female) to assess the impact of daily physical activity timing, referred to as ‘chronoactivity’ in this study, on CVD risk. Accelerometer was used to assess the participants’ physical activity levels over a 7-day measurement period. [Eur J Prev Cardiol 2022;doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwac239]

After a follow-up period of 6 years, 2,911 and 706 participants developed CAD and stroke, respectively.

Participants who were most active in either the early or late morning had a lower risk of incident CAD than those who were active at midday (hazard ratio [HR], 0.89 and HR, 0.84, respectively).

In addition, those who particularly preferred late morning rather than midday physical activity achieved 17- and 21-percent decreased risk of any incident stroke (HR, 0.83) and ischaemic stroke (HR, 0.79), respectively.

When the analysis was further stratified by sex, women who engaged in early or late morning physical activity had a considerably decreased risk of CAD (22 percent and 24 percent, respectively). However, in men, there was no difference between the physical activity timing and CVD risk.

With regard to total physical activity level, no differences were observed between the less- and more-active groups, “indicating that the association between the specific timing of physical activity and CVD is independent of total physical activity levels,” noted the researchers.

“Therefore, irrespective of total physical activity, morning physical activity was associated with lower risks of incident CVDs, highlighting the potential importance of chronoactivity in CVD prevention,” noted the researchers.

“These present results might suggest that time-dependent physical activity interventions might be an added beneficial behavioural factor to reach maximum health benefits and to lower the risk of CVD,” they added.