Beyond getting into the best shape of their life, one reason people exercise is to lose weight. So, it would be a benefit if an exercise session reigned in hunger, so you ate less after a workout. The ongoing calorie deficit would work in your favor and help you shed those extra pounds of stubborn body fat. But does exercise suppress appetite, or can it make you hungrier?
The Effect of Exercise on Appetite
There’s good news and bad news about exercise and its effects on appetite. Vigorous exercise seems to reduce the desire to eat. When you’re toweling off after a heart-pounding workout, you might not feel like biting into a brownie, but studies show the appetite suppression is short-lived.
Once your temperature starts to drop, your appetite returns, and you feel hungrier than ever. In the long run, vigorous exercise may boost your appetite for a few hours after a workout. Studies show this appetite-boosting effect is more pronounced in women for unknown reasons. However, it’s likely hormonal factors play a role.
But the research isn’t as clear-cut as you might like. Other studies show that vigorous exercise has the opposite effect – it suppresses appetite and the desire to eat. So, the data is conflicting. For example, one study showed women found pictures of food less appealing on days they did brisk exercise. There’s less evidence that moderate and low-intensity exercise decreases appetite, and some evidence that it increases appetite.
Individual Responses to Exercise May Vary
Everyone responds a little differently to exercise, so it’s not surprising it has varying effects on appetite. For some, an exhausting workout might make them want to sit down to a big meal, while it may suppress the desire to eat in others. Some research suggests body weight plays a role in how exercise affects hunger and the desire to eat. People who are obese have a more pronounced increase in appetite and less appetite suppression after a workout than leaner people.
Even if exercise suppresses your appetite, it’s not smart to exercise excessively solely to control your appetite. Training too hard and too frequently increases the stress hormone cortisol, and that can make you hunger for foods high in sugar and fat. As with most things in life, moderation is the key to long-term success.
Exercise Can Help You Develop a Healthier Relationship with Food
Why might exercise cause you to feel hungrier? One reason may be that your body senses a calorie deficit from exercise and thinks you need more fuel on board, so you feel famished. Your body wants to maintain a degree of homeostasis and doesn’t like fuel shortages.
On the plus side, research also suggests that long-term, regular exercise has a beneficial effect on appetite control, helping you be more in sync with your hunger cues. So, the benefits are positive when you exercise regularly.
Furthermore, exercise improves body composition, which further contributes to weight control. Regular physical activity can boost muscle mass and burn body fat, which leads to a healthier body weight and more efficient metabolism. Vigorous workouts also improve insulin sensitivity, which can help regulate blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.
Overall, regular exercise and improved body composition can lead to a healthier relationship with food and a more balanced approach to eating.
Balance Your Workouts
One way to offset the effects of vigorous exercise on your appetite is to keep your workouts balanced. If you do a high-intensity workout one day, do a lighter or recovery workout the next. For example, after a strenuous day of running, do a yoga workout. Yoga may be an especially smart choice, as it increases mindfulness, and mindfulness helps regulate how much you eat by making you more aware of your hunger cues.
Doing mindfulness workouts, like yoga, teaches you to recognize true hunger from emotional hunger or eating out of boredom. So, the benefits can transfer to all aspects of weight control.
Keep a food journal for a few weeks. In your journal, record everything you eat on days you work out and days you don’t. Also, rate your hunger after workouts. See if there’s a pattern. Are you hungrier on days that you exercise? Do you consume more food or calories? With this knowledge, you’ll know that you need to be more aware of what you’re eating on the days you exercise.
Exercise Not Just for Weight, But for Health
Research shows that exercise alone is not always effective for weight loss; nutrition is the key to optimizing your weight. But exercise is essential for building and maintaining a healthy body composition. Research shows that people who work out when trying to lose weight preserve or even build muscle while losing body fat. The focus should be on losing body fat, not muscle.
Exercise also has benefits for mental and physical health. When you exercise, you condition your heart and lower the risk of common age-related health problems, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even some forms of cancer. Studies even show that regular physical activity can add years to your life.
But don’t count on exercise to compensate for a poor diet. You need as much attention to nutrition and mindful eating as exercise. Eating a well-balanced and nutritious diet is just as crucial as regular physical activity. In fact, diet and exercise are two sides of the same coin, and work synergistically. They work together to help you meet your health and fitness goals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the effect of exercise on appetite is complex. Whether you feel hungrier after a workout depends on factors such as the intensity and duration of the exercise, as well as individual differences in hormones and metabolism. However, there’s evidence that an intense workout temporarily suppresses appetite, but the effects may be short-lived, especially for women. Still, it can improve your body composition and your relationship with food. Plus, you get all the other perks of exercise! It’s a win-win.
References:
- Dorling J, Broom DR, Burns SF, Clayton DJ, Deighton K, James LJ, King JA, Miyashita M, Thackray AE, Batterham RL, Stensel DJ. Acute and Chronic Effects of Exercise on Appetite, Energy Intake, and Appetite-Related Hormones: The Modulating Effect of Adiposity, Sex, and Habitual Physical Activity. Nutrients. 2018 Aug 22;10(9):1140. doi: 10.3390/nu10091140. PMID: 30131457; PMCID: PMC6164815.
- Afrasyabi S, Marandi SM, Kargarfard M. The effects of high intensity interval training on appetite management in individuals with type 2 diabetes: influenced by participants weight. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2019 May 15;18(1):107-117. doi: 10.1007/s40200-019-00396-0. PMID: 31275881; PMCID: PMC6582123.
- “Brisk Exercise May Actually Suppress Appetite: Study ….” 08 Jan. 2020, health.com/nutrition/exercise-curbs-appetite.
- “Diet alone will not likely lead to significant weight loss ….” 14 Apr. 2010, sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100413170710.htm.
- Dorling J, Broom DR, Burns SF, Clayton DJ, Deighton K, James LJ, King JA, Miyashita M, Thackray AE, Batterham RL, Stensel DJ. Acute and Chronic Effects of Exercise on Appetite, Energy Intake, and Appetite-Related Hormones: The Modulating Effect of Adiposity, Sex, and Habitual Physical Activity. Nutrients. 2018 Aug 22;10(9):1140. doi: 10.3390/nu10091140. PMID: 30131457; PMCID: PMC6164815.
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