How having a NAP in the afternoon can help you to lose weight

© Credits: Getty Images By Shivali Best ,  Mirror    If you’re trying to lose weight, having a nap in the afternoon could...

© Credits: Getty Images

By Shivali Best ,  Mirror 

 

If you’re trying to lose weight, having a nap in the afternoon could help to boost your weight loss.

A new study has revealed that people burn more calories while at rest in the afternoon than they do in the morning.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School found that while at rest, people burn 10% more calories in the late afternoon than in the early morning.

Kirsi-Marja Zitting, who led the study, said: “The fact that doing the same thing at one time of day burned so many more calories than doing the same thing at a different time of day surprised us.”

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In the study, the researchers studied seven people in a special laboratory without any clues about what time it was.

Each participant was assigned to go to bed an wake up. But every night, those times were adjusted to four hours later.

Jeanne Duffy, co-author of the study, said: “Because they were doing the equivalent of circling the globe every week, their body's internal clock could not keep up, and so it oscillated at its own pace.
“This allowed us to measure metabolic rate at all different biological times of day."

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The results showed that resting energy expenditure was lowest in the early morning, and highest in the late afternoon.

Dr Duffy added: “It is not only what we eat, but when we eat - and rest - that impacts how much energy we burn or store as fat.

“Regularity of habits such as eating and sleeping is very important to overall health."

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are the author's own and MSN does not endorse them in any way. Neither can MSN independently verify any claims made in the article. You should consult your physician before starting any weight loss or health management programme to determine if it is right for your needs.