Acute exercise increases feeding latency in healthy normal weight young males but does not alter energy intake

Abstract

This study investigated the acute influence of exercise on eating behaviour in an ecologically valid setting whereby healthy active males were permitted complete ad libitum access to food. Ten healthy males completed two, eight hour trials (exercise and control) in a randomised-crossover design. In the exercise trials participants consumed a breakfast snack and then rested for one hour before undertaking a 60 min run (72% of 2 O V  max) on a treadmill. Participants then rested in the laboratory for six hours during which time they were permitted complete ad libitum access to a buffet meal. The timing of meals, energy/macronutrient intake and eating frequency were assessed. Identical procedures were completed in the control trial except no exercise was performed.Exercise increased the length of time (35 min) before participants voluntarily requested to eat afterwards. Despite this, energy intake at the first meal consumed, or at subsequent eating episodes, was not influenced by exercise (total trial energy intake:control 7426 kJ, exercise 7418 kJ). Neither was there any difference in macronutrient intake or meal frequency between trials. These results confirm that food intake remains unaffected by exercise in the immediate hours after but suggest that exercise may invoke a delay before food is desired.

A Review of Factors Influencing Athletes’ Food Choices

“…However, very few studies have explored this effect in athletes or how this influences dietary intake. In fact, studies exploring the relationship between hunger, appetite regulatory hormones and dietary intake have not been consistent [49,53] with some showing a poor coupling between these variables [57]. In healthy non-athletic males, there was no difference in energy or macronutrient intake despite variations in hunger ratings and appetite regulating hormones when endurance (60 min continuous cycling at 65 % VO 2max ) versus sprint interval (6 9 30 s Wingate tests) exercise was performed [49].…”

“…Athletes train and compete in a range of environments and a greater understanding in this area could assist the nutrition practitioner in catering and planning meals for athletes attending training camps under various conditions. Despite a wealth of research exploring the impact of exercise on hunger and appetite, it is still unclear how this influences energy balance and the regulation of body weight [49,[53][54][55]. Considering the typically higher energy expenditures of athletes [56], it might be reasonable to assume that hunger may have a greater impact on food choice in this group.…”

Creating an acute energy deficit without stimulating compensatory increases in appetite: is there an optimal exercise protocol?

“…Although significant changes in appetite have been reported in these studies, values tend to return to control values within 30 min of the cessation of exercise. Such a transient effect is unlikely to influence energy intake in the hours after exercise but may delay the initiation of feeding when food is provided immediately after exercise (24) . It therefore remains most important to understand the influence of exercise on resting appetite and energy intake responses in the hours after exercise.…”

The Effects of Food Labelling on Postexercise Energy Intake in Sedentary Women

“…This is defined as complete (100%) postexercise energy compensation. Numerous studies have evaluated the effects of exercise on energy intake (EI), but results are conflicting with studies reporting increases in EI following exercise [2–4], while others did not [5, 6]. …”