By Gabe Sanders Ph.D., NSCA-CSCS
Have you ever asked yourself, “Why am I so hungry”? after you engage in exercise. If you are like me, it happens all the time. While there could be many factors at play, you should know that increases in appetite are to be expected if you are burning more calories via exercise.
When you exercise, your muscles are working. Therefore, using energy and the total energy consumed in a 30-45 minute exercise session will vary, but will likely be above 200-300 calories. After your exercise session, while in recovery mode, your body will continue to burn additional calories because your body is essentially still working harder than it does at rest.
Then over time, you will likely feel hungry a few hours after your exercise session. Controlling your appetite after exercise is critical to maintaining or losing weight. If you give in to your hunger cravings and then eat until you are no longer hungry, you will likely gain weight, even if you are exercising.
Very High-Intensity Exercise may cause less appetite
New research found that various exercise intensities can alter your appetite. More specifically, the research found that participants who engaged in moderate-intensity exercise for 30 minutes reported having a greater appetite and consumed more calories after the exercise than those that engage in high-intensity exercise for 30 minutes.
For many avid exercisers, you may or may not have experienced similar findings. Personally, I can attest that when I engage in very high-intensity exercise, I usually feel less hungry throughout the day, but on days I exercise or lift weights at a more modest intensity, I feel like I could live in the pantry and eat the entire day.
Perhaps this is more dependent upon how exercise impacts the biochemistry of our bodies which influences our brain and then tells us if we feel hungry. It is somewhat unknown why this occurs after various intensities of exercise.
Monitor and manage food intake
In the end, it is essential to monitor and manage food intake after exercise. To maintain or lose weight, a person must be at a caloric deficit or at least a caloric neutral state. Consuming more calories than you burn will lead to weight gain, plain and simple.
It is always best to engage in 2-3 days of vigorous, high-intensity exercise, and it just so happens it might make you a little less hungry!
**Before starting an exercise regimen, consult with a physician and/or medical healthcare provider.
Article’s Source
Jahan-mihan, A. ., Magyari, P. ., & O. Pinkstaff, S. . (2021). The Effect of Intensity of Exercise on Appetite and Food Intake Regulation in Post-Exercise Period: A Randomized Trial. Journal of Exercise and Nutrition, 4(3). Retrieved from https://www.journalofexerciseandnutrition.com/index.php/JEN/article/view/95
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