Influence of Running and Walking on Hormonal Regulators of Appetite in Women

Abstract

Nine female runners and ten walkers completed a 60 min moderate-intensity (70% VO2max) run or walk, or 60 min rest in counterbalanced order. Plasma concentrations of the orexogenic peptide ghrelin, anorexogenic peptides peptide YY (PYY), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and appetite ratings were measured at 30 min interval for 120 min, followed by a free-choice meal. Both orexogenic and anorexogenic peptides were elevated after running, but no changes were observed after walking. Relative energy intake (adjusted for cost of exercise/rest) was negative in the meal following running (−194 ± 206 kcal) versus walking (41 ± 196 kcal) (P = 0.015), although both were suppressed (P < 0.05) compared to rest (299 ± 308 and 284 ± 121 kcal, resp.). The average rate of change in PYY and GLP-1 over time predicted appetite in runners, but only the change in GLP-1 predicted hunger (P = 0.05) in walkers. Results provide evidence that exercise-induced alterations in appetite are likely driven by complex changes in appetite-regulating hormones rather than change in a single gut peptide.

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

“…The use of male participants in the majority of investigations has led some authors to postulate that sex-based differences may occur in the appetite response to exercise due to the critical relationship between energy balance and reproductive function in females (38) . However, the present research suggests that females do not exhibit increased appetite perceptions during the 2 h period after exercise (18,19,29,(31)(32)(33) . Furthermore, a recent study by Hagobian et al (29) directly compared the appetite response to exercise in male and female participants and concluded that 80 min cycling at 70 % VO 2 max did not stimulate increases in appetite in either sex during the 40 min after exercise.…”

“…The consensus among these studies is that, after the recovery from exercise-induced anorexia, appetite during the postexercise period does not differ from a resting control trial (13,15,(17)(18)(19)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34) . However, although appetite perceptions do not appear to decrease during the post-exercise period, it must be acknowledged that some investigations have reported elevated appetite perceptions after exercise compared with a control trial (35)(36)(37) .…”

Factors affecting circulating levels of peptide YY in humans: a comprehensive review

“…Still other studies have shown no differences in energy intake (or even slight increases in energy intake) when comparing post-exercise v. sedentary conditions. Importantly, however, if one takes into account the energy expended during exercise, there is still a greater negative energy balance in those studies exhibiting greater post-exercise PYY levels (79) . A few studies have also examined the effects of chronic aerobic exercise.…”

Acute and Chronic Effects of Exercise on Appetite, Energy Intake and Appetite-Related Hormones: the Modulating Effect of Adiposity, Sex and Habitual Physical Activity

“…However, these findings are not universal with some studies suggesting that women do not demonstrate a suppression in appetite [61,83] or changes in appetite-related hormones including acylated ghrelin, PYY and GLP-1 [61,84,85] in response to acute exercise stimuli. Furthermore, another study conducted exclusively in women reported an increase in acylated ghrelin and a tendency for higher energy intake after 60 min of exercise at 70% VȮ2 peak [85]. It is possible that consumption of a standardised breakfast prior to exercise in the latter study [85] elevated PYY and lowered acylated ghrelin concentrations, and may have diminished the transient exercise-induced responses often seen with these peptides.…”