A vigorous 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 study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. The study examines 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.
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." Kara Anderson, Ph.
D., lead author of the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, Va. Ghrelin circulates in acylated (AG) and deacylated (DAG) forms, which are known to affect appetite.
Data on the impact of exercise intensity on AG and DAG levels, and their effects on appetite, is sparse and primarily limited to males, the study noted. To address this shortfall, the study examined eight males and six females. Participants fasted overnight and then completed exercises of varying intensity levels, determined by measurements of blood lactate, followed by self-reported measurements of appetite.
Females had higher levels of total ghrelin at baseline compared with males, the study noted. But only females demonstrated "significantly reduced AG" following the intense exercise, accor.
