Exercise Makes People Hungrier And Fuller

There is evidence that the effectiveness of exercise as a weight-loss method is limited by its effect on the appetite. A new study from the Obesity Research Group looked deeper into the so-called “compensation effect” by investigating the effect of exercise-induced weight loss on appetite-related peptides and the motivation to eat. Twenty-two overweight and sedentary adults engaged in a 12-week supervised exercise program consisting of five sessions of aerobic exercise per week. The subjects were asked not to alter their food intake during the study period.

The subjects lost a significant amount of weight. At the end of the study, they had higher levels of the “hunger hormone” ghrelin and higher levels of self-rated hunger in the fasted state. However, the researchers also found that exercise-induced weight loss had a stronger effect on suppressing ghrelin release and increasing the release of glucagon-like peptide-1, a satiety hormone, after meals. These latter results suggest that exercise-induced weight loss might make meals more satisfying. The authors of the study, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocronology and Metabolism, concluded, “Exercise-induced weight loss is associated with physiological and biopsychological changes toward an increased drive to eat in the fasting state. However, this seems to be balanced by an improved satiety response to a meal and improved sensitivity of the appetite control system.”