Effect of time-of-day-specific strength training on muscular XXXX in @entity1 .

@entity2086 @entity1 @entity1184 @entity121
The purpose of the present study was to examine effects of time-of-day-specific strength training on @entity2086 and maximal strength in @entity1 . A training group underwent a 10-week preparatory training (wk 0-wk 10) scheduled between 17:00 and 19:00 hours. Thereafter, the subjects were randomized either to a morning or afternoon training group. They continued with a 10-week time-of-day-specific training (wk 11-wk 20) with training times between 07:00 and 09:00 hours and 17:00 and 19:00 hours in the morning group and afternoon groups, respectively. A control group did not train but was tested at all occasions. @entity121 ( @entity121 ) cross-sectional areas (CSA) and volume were obtained by magnetic resonance imaging scan at week 10 and 20. Maximum voluntary isometric strength during unilateral knee extensions and half-squat 1 repetition maximum (1RM) were tested at week 0, 10, and 20 at a randomly given time of day between 09:00 and 16:00 hours. The @entity121 average CSA and volume increased significantly (p < 0.001) in both the morning and afternoon training groups by 2.7% and 3.5%, respectively. The 0.8% difference between the training groups was not significant. The entire 20-week training period resulted in significant increases in maximum voluntary contraction and 1RM of similar magnitude in both training groups (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively) as compared with the control group. In conclusion, 10 weeks of strength training performed either in the morning or in the afternoon resulted in significant increases in @entity121 muscle size. The magnitude of muscular @entity1184 did not statistically differ between the morning and afternoon training times. From a practical point of view, strength training in the morning and afternoon hours can be similarly efficient when aiming for @entity2086 over a shorter period of time (<3 mo).
