Findings of a new study suggest that a vigorous exercising regimen may reduce appetite. The latest findings are contrary to the popular belief that one tends to eat more after working out.
The present study, conducted by a group of graduate students at the University of Western Australia, found that study participants ingested, on average, 200 fewer calories after going through a spirited workout vis-à-vis after taking rest.
The Study Methodology
For the purpose of the study, researchers analyzed the appetite regimens of 17 overweight men, who volunteered to participate in two hours workout spread over four sessions of half hour each. One of the sessions entailed having a bout of rest, while the other three involved cycling at moderate, high and very high intensity.
While the moderate exercise entailed cycling at a continuous cycling speed, the intense workouts had small sessions of cycling at full throttle and then cycling at a lesser speed but for an extended period of time.
The study participants were offered a liquid meal (about 267 calories) immediately after each of the four sessions. They were again offered oatmeal, an hour after the liquid diet and were asked to eat until they were “comfortably full.”
The study established that the participants ingested fewer calories (less oatmeal) after the high and very high intensity workouts vis-à-vis the moderate intensity workout sessions.
The men ate 764 calories post resting, 710 calories post the moderate exercising session, and 621 calories post the high intensity calisthenics. The researchers recorded that 594 calories were eaten after the most intense exercise.
Long Run Impact Unclear
While the study findings are worth taken care note of, experts have cautioned that the present study has been conducted on a very small scale and further research needs to be conducted to arrive at any concrete conclusions.
“This study provides some promising preliminary support for this notion, but further research is needed to investigate this in a longer-term study,” averred Aaron Sim, one of the study authors.
Another limitation of the study that has been highlighted is that it takes into consideration the appetite of an individual immediately after the exercising regimen. There is no clarity on the impact on long term appetite and weather high intensity exercise can impact weight loss in the long run.
The findings of the study have been published in the International Journal of Obesity
