Does exercise intensity affect appetite? Original paper
In this randomized crossover trial in 20 participants, exercise intensity did not influence appetite or calorie intake after exercise.
This Study Summary was published on April 23, 2025.
The study
The participants were young adults (average age of 21; average BMI of 22) with no known health conditions who reported doing less than 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in the previous 7 days.
The participants fasted for 4 hours before exercising for 40 minutes on an exercise bike at moderate intensity (50% of peak power output) or light intensity (20% of peak power output).
The participants reported similar degrees of increased appetite with each exercise intensity. Absolute calorie intake at an ad libitum meal did not differ between the sessions postexercise (moderate intensity of 886 kcal vs. low intensity of 909 kcal). However, relative energy intake was lower with moderate-intensity exercise, because more calories were expended during the exercise session (729 vs. 405 kcal).
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The results
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This Study Summary was published on April 23, 2025.
References
- ^Martins C, Stensvold D, Finlayson G, Holst J, Wisloff U, Kulseng B, Morgan L, King NAEffect of moderate- and high-intensity acute exercise on appetite in obese individuals.Med Sci Sports Exerc.(2015 Jan)
- ^Carbine KA, Anderson J, Larson MJ, LeCheminant JD, Bailey BWThe relationship between exercise intensity and neurophysiological responses to food stimuli in women: A randomized crossover event-related potential (ERP) study.Int J Psychophysiol.(2020 Dec)