3 ms·

Exercise suppresses appetite by affecting appetite hormones

12 points by ph0rque 18y ago

pchristensen 18y ago
This is definitely true for me. The only times I've been able to control my appetite are when I regularly do aerobic exercise. When I'm not regularly exercising I have no power whatsoever over my appetite. When I am, I lose my taste for unhealthy food and naturally get portion control.
gaius 18y ago
I don't believe this. An hour after running a half-marathon or greater I am basically inhaling food. Every other running I know is the same. Plus I don't know what kinds of weights they were lifting for 90 minutes. 20-30 minutes is more like it for a real workout (see Mike Mentzer, Stuart McRobert, Dorian Yates etc for references).
- ph0rque 18y ago
  > An hour after running a half-marathon or greater I am basically inhaling food. I don't think the article disagrees with you: > The [appetite suppression] the researchers observed were short term for both types of exercise, lasting about two hours, including the time spent exercising, Stensel reported.
  - gaius 18y ago
    Ah, including exercise time, missed that bit! :-)
scott_s 18y ago
I've know this for a while (but I obviously did not know the mechanisms). When I have an intense Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practice, it takes an hour or more for me to get my appetite back - despite my knowledge that I need calories. But after lifting I am famished, and I have a protein shake immediately after getting home just so that I can cool down and shower before eating.
tocomment 18y ago
What is the reason the body does this? Is it just a side effect, or has it evolved that way?
- scott_s 18y ago
  My guess is that strength training sends the message "we need more muscle mass" to the body. More muscle mass requires more calories. On the other hand, aerobic activities are inhibited by excess mass - even muscle mass. So the other side is, my guess, aerobic activity sends the message "we need less mass, fat and muscle." Decreasing appetite will result in a smaller person.
- queensnake 18y ago
  Leptin. This article is long and is mostly talking about high-fructose corn syrup but, it mentions leptin by the way. Search for it in there ... http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthreport/stories/2007/1969924.htm#transcript http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthreport/stories/2007/1969924.h...
- kingkongrevenge 18y ago
  Insulin from eating immediately shuts down growth hormone production, as well as various anabolic gene expression. The latest research shows the common practice of eating immediately after lifting is actually incorrect. You want to wait a couple hours and allow growth hormone levels to stay high, and working out on an empty stomach is best. The appetite suppression is synergistic with what your endocrine system is trying to do.
old-gregg 18y ago
Is this yc.news or a general American phenomena? How come stories about food and fat routinely get voted up? Hey, there are plenty of other, more interesting organs in your bodies, stop being obsessed with your digestive tracts - that's disgusting. BTW is that true that in California they're starting to do butt-hole bleaching? I am tired of waiting for a yc.news article confirming this...
- zasz 18y ago
  Because diet and exercise are two of the most obvious ways you can control or "hack" your body. Therefore, they are interesting and voted up. Though I don't think this particular article has anything to do with diet. It's just an interesting, counterintuitive discovery. I would have thought that exercise in general made you hungrier, but apparently it doesn't. See? That's interesting. To your last point. I'm from California. We don't.

12 points by ph0rque 18y ago

This is definitely true for me. The only times I've been able to control my appetite are when I regularly do aerobic exercise. When I'm not regularly exercising I have no power whatsoever over my appetite. When I am, I lose my taste for unhealthy food and naturally get portion control.

gaius 18y ago

I don't believe this. An hour after running a half-marathon or greater I am basically inhaling food. Every other running I know is the same. Plus I don't know what kinds of weights they were lifting for 90 minutes. 20-30 minutes is more like it for a real workout (see Mike Mentzer, Stuart McRobert, Dorian Yates etc for references).

ph0rque 18y ago
> An hour after running a half-marathon or greater I am basically inhaling food. I don't think the article disagrees with you: > The [appetite suppression] the researchers observed were short term for both types of exercise, lasting about two hours, including the time spent exercising, Stensel reported.
- gaius 18y ago
  Ah, including exercise time, missed that bit! :-)

scott_s 18y ago

I've know this for a while (but I obviously did not know the mechanisms). When I have an intense Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practice, it takes an hour or more for me to get my appetite back - despite my knowledge that I need calories. But after lifting I am famished, and I have a protein shake immediately after getting home just so that I can cool down and shower before eating.

tocomment 18y ago

What is the reason the body does this? Is it just a side effect, or has it evolved that way?

scott_s 18y ago
My guess is that strength training sends the message "we need more muscle mass" to the body. More muscle mass requires more calories. On the other hand, aerobic activities are inhibited by excess mass - even muscle mass. So the other side is, my guess, aerobic activity sends the message "we need less mass, fat and muscle." Decreasing appetite will result in a smaller person.
queensnake 18y ago
Leptin. This article is long and is mostly talking about high-fructose corn syrup but, it mentions leptin by the way. Search for it in there ... http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthreport/stories/2007/1969924.htm#transcript http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthreport/stories/2007/1969924.h...
kingkongrevenge 18y ago
Insulin from eating immediately shuts down growth hormone production, as well as various anabolic gene expression. The latest research shows the common practice of eating immediately after lifting is actually incorrect. You want to wait a couple hours and allow growth hormone levels to stay high, and working out on an empty stomach is best. The appetite suppression is synergistic with what your endocrine system is trying to do.

old-gregg 18y ago

Is this yc.news or a general American phenomena? How come stories about food and fat routinely get voted up? Hey, there are plenty of other, more interesting organs in your bodies, stop being obsessed with your digestive tracts - that's disgusting. BTW is that true that in California they're starting to do butt-hole bleaching? I am tired of waiting for a yc.news article confirming this...

zasz 18y ago
Because diet and exercise are two of the most obvious ways you can control or "hack" your body. Therefore, they are interesting and voted up. Though I don't think this particular article has anything to do with diet. It's just an interesting, counterintuitive discovery. I would have thought that exercise in general made you hungrier, but apparently it doesn't. See? That's interesting. To your last point. I'm from California. We don't.