Impact of Exercise Timing on Chemosensory Response, Appetite, and Energy Intake in Lean Males

Abstract

Background: High-intensity exercise can have an anorectic impact, leading to negative energy balance. Several studies have reported that the practice of physical activity could also cause a shift in perceptions and preferences, causing a change in food intakes. Objective: This study aimed to question to what extent the timing of exercise in relation to a meal could have an impact on olfaction and gustation, appetite, and food choices. Methods: Twelve males aged 25 (4) years with a body mass index of 22.4 (2.0) kg/m2 attended two experimental visits in a counterbalanced fashion. The participants consumed a standardized breakfast between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m. and were subjected to smell and taste tests upon arrival at the laboratory (8:30 a.m.). In the EX9:40 visit, the participants performed a 30-min exercise session (70% of maximum oxygen uptake) at 9:40 a.m., followed by a 90-min sedentary break. In EX10:30, the participants first took part in the 90-min sedentary break and then performed the 30-min exercise session at 10:30 a.m. Taste and smell tests were performed again at 11:40 a.m., immediately followed by an ad libitum buffet-style meal. Visual analog scales were used to report appetite sensations during the session and satiety quotients around the lunch. Results: There was no difference in energy intakes between the EX9:40 (596 [302] kcal) and EX10:30 (682 [263] kcal) conditions (p = .459). There was no condition effect for the taste and smell sensations (all ps > .05), appetite sensation, or satiety quotients around the meal (all ps > .05). Conclusion: Exercise timing in the morning had no effect on taste and smell perceptions, appetite sensations, or energy intakes.

Effect of Physical Exercise on Taste Perceptions: A Systematic Review

“…From the 5699 titles screened, 88 were approved based on their title, 49 were assessed using the full text, and 18 were analyzed and included in this systematic review. From the 18 studies, 17 had an experimental design, including non-defined [18], nonrandomized control trials [16,17,[19][20][21][22][23][24][26][27][28]30,32,33], and randomized control trials [25,31]. One case control study [29] was also included.…”

“…The studies originated from Canada [33], China [29], Ireland [32], Israel [21,22], Japan [18,19,23,26,28], the Netherlands [25], New Zealand [30], Norway [31], the United States of America [16,17,24,27], and the United Kingdom [20]. Most of the studies were conducted on healthy normal-weight males and females, but some studies included participants who were obese [31], clinically ill [29], or athletic [16,24,26,27].…”

“…Exercise intervention ranged from one session to a 12-week exercise program. Most of the exercise interventions were treadmill or ergometer sessions based on the maximal oxygen uptake [19,20,23,31,33] and/or calculated/predicted maximal heart rate [19,[23][24][25]30]. Other interventions included organized sports [21,22], circuit stations [21,27], a half marathon [26], hiking [28], or questionnaires on physical activity levels [16,17,29,32].…”

Appetite control and exercise: Does the timing of exercise play a role?

“…Some studies have been specifically conducted to compare some nutritional outcomes in response to exercise depending on its delay with a meal. In their work, Josaphat and collaborators asked healthy men to perform an acute 30-minute exercise set at 70% of their maximal aerobic capacities either 90 minutes or right before a lunch test meal [37]. According to their results, there was no difference between the two conditions regarding total ad libitum energy intake, appetite feelings and the taste or smell sensations [37].…”

“…In their work, Josaphat and collaborators asked healthy men to perform an acute 30-minute exercise set at 70% of their maximal aerobic capacities either 90 minutes or right before a lunch test meal [37]. According to their results, there was no difference between the two conditions regarding total ad libitum energy intake, appetite feelings and the taste or smell sensations [37]. Interestingly, using a similar design, Albert et al observed a reduction of 11% of the post-exercise energy intake (with a 23% decrease in ingested fat) when the exercise (30 minutes treadmill running at 70% VO 2max ) is performed just before the meal compared with 165 minutes before, with no difference regarding appetite feelings, in normal-weight adolescents [38].…”