If you have ever engaged in intense workouts, you may have noticed that you leave the workout less hungry than you do after moderate workouts. Science confirmed this with a recent study published in the Journal of Endocrine Society. Higher-intensity workouts, specifically high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, can temporarily suppress appetite and reduce total caloric intake. What’s more, it seems to have a greater effect on women.Â
There is a growing body of research that indicates how essential exercise is for weight management. That is not to say that it only helps you burn calories; rather, it appears to influence how much you eat post-workout. But the relationship between exercise and appetite is not straightforward. It often defies the notion that increased activity automatically makes you have a ravenous hunger. Exercise does burn calories, but it also seems to impact the hormones that regulate appetite.Â
The new research sheds light on how high-intensity exercise can influence ghrelin levels. Ghrelin is the hormone that stimulates appetite. In this article, we will explore this phenomenon and detail what the researchers observed during the recent study.
Exercise Intensity Affects Appetite
This recent study investigated the effects of exercise intensity and sex on levels of ghrelin and appetite in untrained humans. It was a small study, consisting of eight males and six females, all of whom completed a maximal graded cycle ergometer lactate threshold (LT)/VO2peak test.
Participants’ exercise intensity was determined on three randomized control or calorically-matched cycle exercise bouts. The first was no exercise, the second was power output at LT, and the third was power output associated with three-quarters of the difference between LT and VO2peak.
The participants engaged in three cycling sessions. One session was controlled with no exercise. Another involved participants to cycle at moderate-intensity at their LT. And a third session was high-intensity at 7% of the difference between LT and VO2peak. The researchers looked at appetite using visual analog scales.
Researchers observed that the females had higher levels of ghrelin and deacylated ghrelin (DAG) at their baseline than male participants. Both male and female participants exhibited reduced DAG levels in higher intensity groups compared to moderate intensity groups. That said, only the females had much higher levels of acylated ghrelin (AG) with high intensity exercise. Finally, hunger scores were higher in the group who performed moderate exercise compared to the no exercise group.
More Key Findings In The Study
According to the study authors, exercise above the lactate threshold may be required in order to suppress ghrelin. Other key findings are as follows:
- High-intensity suppression: Higher intensity exercise suppressed plasma levels of ghrelin, AG, and DAG in men and women. The significant reduction of AG was only observed in women, though.
- Sex differences: Female participants demonstrated higher baseline levels of total ghrelin and DAG compared to male participants.
- Appetite perception: The feelings of hunger were stronger after moderate-intensity exercise compared to the no exercise control session.
- Moderate-intensity effects: The moderate-intensity exercise either slightly increased ghrelin levels, or did not change existing levels at all.
Conclusion
If you want to help suppress ghrelin levels, consider engaging in high-intensity exercise. The findings from this new study reveal that not all exercise yields the same results. High-intensity workouts, such as HIIT workouts, seem to be more effective at suppressing hunger and reducing caloric intake post-workout. Incorporating HIIT workouts into your fitness regimen, then, may help you take control of your hunger and achieve your health and fitness goals.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
