Appetite vs Exercise???
By Chef K.T. Murphy
It is the start of a New Year, and as we make our resolutions, losing weight or getting in shape will invariably be one of the most popular goals of 2018. Many people will turn to diets or fads for a miracle cure, however, the time-tested method of exercise plus proper nutrition is always the safest bet.
That being said, it is important to note that exercise is not all pain and suffering, but that it can be fun. More importantly, its effects extend beyond the gym and initial sweat of your workout. Research has shown that exercise has a positive effect on the ability to control your appetite! Weight loss can be incredibly frustrating and especially when trying to follow a new diet.
Willpower is a finite resource and inevitably if let un-checked your body will win the battle for a cheeseburger. Which is why exercise is crucial not only for burning calories but for the hormones and chemical changes it can create in our bodies to help fight our urges to intake food, especially when we don’t need it.
Exercise Improving Appetite Control? Seems Counter-intuitive
True, it does seem like a contradiction at first look. When exercising we expend more energy, thus our appetite should increase leading to poor food choices and overeating. However, surprisingly the research has shown that exercise actually improves our ability to control our choices and need for food after our workout. In fact, a study by Leeds University found that subjective feelings of hunger were significantly suppressed during and after intense exercise sessions.
What in fact happens is that after we exercise, while we have expended energy and will have a need to replace the fuel we just used, our ability to synthesize the nutrients improves. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that “the effect of exercise on appetite regulation involves at least 2 processes: an increase in the overall (orexigenic) drive to eat and a concomitant increase in the satiating efficiency of a fixed meal.” In other words, it will take less overall consumption to get the nutrients we need rather than over-eating for the sake of our appetite.
Consistency Is the Key
In a different study, the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that “Increasing EE (energy expenditure) did not lead to compensation of EI (energy intake, or food) over 7 days. However, total daily EE tended to decrease over time on the two exercise treatments. Lean men appear able to tolerate a considerable negative energy balance, induced by exercise, over 7 days without invoking compensatory increases in EI.” In other words, as we continue to exercise regularly, we actually expend less energy over time. In addition, as our bodies get used to expending energy regularly, the desire or craving to replace the fuel becomes less important.
This is thanks to our body’s ability to compensate to a stimulus. For example, if we do as many push-ups as we can, we will become fatigued, and after a short rest if we tried again we’d be able to do fewer push-ups. However, if we consistently did one set of push-ups every day, over time we would improve, and they would become easier. This is because when our body is hit with a stimulus, such as an exercise, it will rise to the occasion. However, this creates fatigue and our bodies then need to recover. Once we have recovered from that stimulus, our bodies will compensate by adjusting and adapting to meet this new stimulus and be prepared. In the case of push ups, that means we will get stronger. In the case of dieting, as our bodies adapt to exercising regularly, we can adapt to not needing immediate gratification or replacement of the energy lost. Plainly stated, exercise improves our ability to control our appetite.
Putting It All Together: Consistent Exercise Can Help Us Control Our Appetite
In conclusion, research has shown that exercise can help us improve our appetite. However, it is not a miracle cure or switch that we can turn on or off as we please. Consistency and strong habits are the keys to successful long-term in losing weight and controlling our appetite. As stated in a study in the British Journal of Nutrition found “These findings demonstrate that habitual exercisers have increased accuracy of short-term regulation of food intake in compensation for preload manipulation, and provide additional support for advocating regular exercise in the prevention of overweight and obesity.” In other words, exercise often and do it over the long term, and your control over your appetite will improve!
All the best, Good Food makes For Better Decisions.
Chef Murph
