The struggle of controlling hunger during the journey is real. Most weight loss programs require people to stick to a calorie-deficient diet, and that’s when the struggle gets worse. Cutting the food intake is no cake walk. Even after maintaining adequate protein intake, some tend to feel hungry. So, how to curb the hunger pangs? How about engaging in an intense exercise? Sounds odd? Well, that’s what scientists suggest. A study finds that intense exercise may suppress appetite in healthy humans!
A study led by researchers from the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia Health System, in 2024, found that a vigorous workout can suppress hunger levels. The study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society found that an intense workout does more to suppress hunger levels in healthy adults than does moderate exercise. Interestingly, women are more likely to experience the effects than men.
The study found that high-intensity exercise lowered levels of ghrelin, a hunger hormone associated with perceptions of hunger.
“We found that high-intensity exercise suppressed ghrelin levels more than moderate-intensity exercise. In addition, we found that individuals felt ‘less hungry’ after high intensity exercise compared to moderate intensity exercise,” lead author Kara Anderson, Ph.D., the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, Va, said in a release.
What is ghrelin?
This hunger hormone, ghrelin, circulates in acylated (AG) and deacylated (DAG) forms, which are known to affect appetite. The researchers also noted the impact of intense exercise on AG and DAG levels, and their effects on appetite, which is sparse and primarily limited to males. They examined eight males and six females to address this shortfall. The participants of the study fasted overnight and performed exercises at different intensity levels, as determined by blood lactate measurements. Afterwards, they reported their appetite levels. The female participants had increased levels of total ghrelin at baseline compared with males. Following intense exercise, only women experienced ‘significantly reduced AG’, which researchers linked to decreased hunger signals.
“We found that moderate intensity either did not change ghrelin levels or led to a net increase,” the authors said. The study hinted that physical activity exceeding the lactate threshold ‘may be necessary to elicit a suppression in ghrelin.’
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The researchers also emphasized that further study is required to determine the extent to which the effects of exercise differ by sex.