Study Finds a Heart-pounding Workout May Suppress Appetite, Especially in Women

Here is a reason why you might want to have more of your clients go all-in on HIIT: that type of exercise may keep hunger at bay. A high-intensity workout does more to suppress hunger levels in healthy adults than does moderate exercise and females may be especially susceptible to this response, according to a small published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. The research examined the effects of exercise intensity on ghrelin levels and appetite between men and women. Ghrelin is known as the “hunger hormone” and is associated with perceptions of hunger. Eight male and six female participants fasted overnight and then completed exercises of varying intensity levels, determined by measurements of blood lactate, followed by self-reported measurements of appetite. It was found that moderate intensity either did not change ghrelin levels or lead to a net increase, which suggests that exercise above the lactate threshold may be necessary to elicit a suppression in ghrelin. Future research needs to zero in on the intensity level required to squash appetite, how long appetite suppression occurs, why there appear to be sex differences and if this can help individuals achieve body composition goals.