Why Do You Not Feel Hungry After Exercise? Experts: Exercise Can Prevent Overeating
Do you ever feel this way – that after a particularly intense run, you have no appetite? This isn't an unusual phenomenon. According to a new study published in the *Journal of Health Psychology*, exercise can actually suppress your appetite.
There are two possible reasons,one is that hormones released after exercise reduce hunger; the other is that the mood and self-esteem are improved, which can increase the thoughts and ideas of not overeating.In fact, the new research found that exercise can even prevent overeating.
In this study published in the *Journal of Health Psychology*, 130 participants aged 18 to 70 were asked to exercise for a year (giving them a graded fitness plan, consisting of 250 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity, which aligns with the guidelines from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion). Each participant wore a fitness tracker on their hip to measure their movement, and their weight index (BMI) was used to set their daily calorie goals.
The researchers found:Light activity (defined in the study as 'activity that burns 1.5 to 3 times the energy level of rest')
compared to moderate to vigorous activity (defined as 'burning 3 times or more than the energy level of rest')has a better anti-overeating effect.According to current American physical activity guidelines, light activity includes walking at 'a slow or leisurely pace', moderate activity includes brisk walking, and vigorous activity includes running or participating in a strenuous exercise class.Why does exercise suppress your appetite? The study's lead author, Rebecca Kroehl, believes there are two possible reasons.Some evidence suggests that hormones are released after exercise, which reduces hunger and food intake. Another possible explanation is that exercise can strengthen mood or self-esteem, thereby increasing people's awareness of positive dietary choices.Kroehl's hormones are growth hormone (which stimulates appetite) and peptide YY (which inhibits appetite). A study published in *AJP Regulatory and Comparative Physiology* in 2008 found that running for an hour on a treadmill led to a decrease in growth hormone levels and an increase in peptide YY levels, leading to feeling less hungry afterwards.It is worth noting that although Kroehl's study involved participants who were overweight or obese (with BMIs between 27 and 50) seeking to lose or maintain weight, the results can still help ordinary people understand their own eating habits.
However, it is important to replenish energy after exercise, even if you are not very hungry; you should eat as soon as possible after exercise, preferably within 20 to 30 minutes, and should not eat more than two hours after exercise. In addition, it is important to quickly take in necessary nutrients, such as food with a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates and protein, to replenish glycogen stores in the body, so that your body can recover from your efforts. (Red)
YY2008AJPYY
BMI2750
20303:1Red
