A study reveals that HIIT exercises can suppress appetite, especially in women.

 

Science now supports your observation that vigorous exercise makes you feel less hungry than moderate exercise. Higher-intensity exercises, especially high-intensity interval training (HIIT), can temporarily suppress hunger and lower calorie consumption, according to a study published in the Journal of Endocrine Society. It seems to have an even bigger effect on women.

The findings of this study contribute to the increasing amount of data showing that exercise may affect our appetite afterward in addition to being crucial for weight management through calorie burn.

Exercise and appetite have a complicated relationship that frequently defies the straightforward assumption that more activity inevitably results in more hunger. Exercise certainly burns calories, but its effects on the hormones that control hunger can be more complex.

This study clarified how ghrelin levels, a hormone that is known to increase appetite, can be strongly impacted by exercise intensity, especially high-intensity exercise. Let's examine this issue and offer helpful advice for anyone wishing to control their hunger through physical activity.

Research: The intensity of exercise influences appetite

The study looked into how ghrelin levels and appetite in unskilled individuals were affected by sex and the degree of exercise. A maximal graded cycle ergometer lactate threshold (LT)/VO2peak test was done by eight males and six females.

Three successive randomized control or calorically matched cycle exercise bouts were used to measure the exercise intensity: (1) CON, which was no exercise; (2) MOD, which was the power output at LT; and (3) HIGH, which was the power output linked to 75% of the difference between LT and VO2peak. Three cycling sessions were performed by the participants: a moderate-intensity session at their LT, a high-intensity session at 75% of the difference between their LT and VO2peak, and a control session with no exercise.

An analysis of appetite perception was conducted using visual analog scales.

According to the findings, baseline levels of deacylated and total ghrelin were greater in females than in males. When compared to the moderate and no exercise groups, both sexes showed lower DAG levels in the high-intensity group; however, only females showed a significant decrease in acylated ghrelin following high-intensity exercise.

Compared to the no-exercise group, the moderate-exercise group had greater hunger scores. The levels of plasma total, acylated, and deacylated ghrelin were decreased by high-intensity exercise. Moderate intensity resulted in a net rise in ghrelin levels or no change at all.

The researchers suggested that exercise over the lactate threshold would be required to produce a ghrelin suppression.

Here are some noteworthy findings:

• Differences by sex: Compared to men, women had greater baseline levels of desacyl and total ghrelin.

• High-intensity suppression: In both males and females, high-intensity exercise successfully reduced plasma levels of TG, AG, and DAG. However, only the females experienced a significant decrease in AG.

• Effects of moderate-intensity exercise: Ghrelin levels were either slightly raised or remained unchanged as a result of moderate-intensity exercise.

• Perception of appetite: Following the moderate-intensity session, feelings of hunger were more intense than following the control session.

These findings imply that ghrelin suppression and, by extension, appetite control may be effectively achieved through high-intensity exercise.

HIIT exercises to attempt

These results suggest that adding high-intensity interval exercise to your regimen may help regulate your appetite.

These three easy HIIT exercises can be performed at home or in the gym if you want to take advantage of the appetite-suppressing effects of high-intensity training.

1. Bodyweight HIIT for beginners (no equipment needed)

• 20 jumping jacks in 20 seconds
• Ten seconds of rest
• 20 squats for 20 seconds
• Ten seconds of rest
• Push-ups for 20 seconds, using knees if necessary
• Ten seconds of rest
• Do the circuit four to six times.

An alternative HIIT bodyweight exercise is as follows:

• Spend five minutes warming up.
• Spend 30 seconds doing burpees.
• Take a 30-second break.
• 30 seconds of jumping jacks are required.
• Take a 30-second break.
• Spend 30 seconds doing high knees.
• Take a 30-second break.
• Do the circuit three or four times.
• Let it cool for five minutes.

2. HIIT exercise on a treadmill

• Walk for five minutes to warm up.
• Sprint: 30 fast-paced seconds
• Walk for one minute at a leisurely pace
• Continue for a total of twenty minutes.
• Walk slowly for five minutes to decompress.

3. HIIT cycling (either on an outdoor or stationary bike)

• Pedal hard: sprint for 30 seconds
• Recovery: a leisurely 90-second pace
• Continue for 20 minutes.

An alternative HIIT cycling exercise is as follows:

• Spend five minutes warming up.
• For 30 seconds, cycle at a very high intensity (near your maximal effort).
• For 60 seconds, recover at a low intensity.
• Do this cycle eight or ten times.
• Let it cool for five minutes.

Short bursts of high-intensity activity are interspersed with rest or low-intensity intervals in these workouts, which maximize calorie burn and may also help reduce appetite.

Additional organic appetite suppressants

A number of natural appetite suppressants, in addition to HIIT, may aid in controlling caloric intake and lowering cravings, including:

• Diet high in protein: Protein helps you feel fuller for longer by promoting satiety. Eating foods high in protein can raise levels of hormones that control appetite, such as peptide YY and GLP-1. Lean meats, Greek yogurt, and eggs are all great options.

• Foods high in fiber: Fiber promotes feelings of fullness and slows down digestion. Incorporate vegetables, chia seeds, lentils, oats, and other high-fiber foods into your meals.

• Water: Staying hydrated helps reduce cravings and avoid confusing thirst for hunger. Water consumption prior to meals can also help regulate portion sizes and lessen appetite. According to one study, consuming 500 mL of water before meals decreased caloric consumption.

• Getting enough sleep: Important because sleep deprivation can alter hormones that control hunger.

• Stress management: Excessive stress can elevate cortisol levels, which in turn can increase appetite.

• Extract from green tea: Green tea, which is high in catechins and caffeine, may aid increase metabolism and reduce appetite.

• Coffee: Because coffee contains caffeine, it might lower appetite in moderation.

• Spices like ginger: Studies have shown that ginger may improve fullness and decrease hunger.

• Dark chocolate: Because of its bitter ingredients, little doses of dark chocolate (70 percent cacao or more) may help curb cravings.

People looking to control their weight may discover a long-lasting and scientifically supported method by mixing these natural appetite suppressants with HIIT workouts.

Conclusion

• High-intensity exercise has been shown in this study to efficiently suppress ghrelin levels and maybe decrease appetite.

• When it comes to controlling appetite, this new study demonstrated that not all forms of exercise are created equal. Compared to moderate exercise, high-intensity workouts like HIIT may be more successful at squelching hunger and lowering subsequent caloric consumption.

• You may take charge of your hunger and reach your fitness and health objectives by including HIIT workouts in your fitness routine and implementing additional natural appetite-suppressing techniques.

• As usual, it's critical to select fitness-level-appropriate exercise regimens and seek medical advice before beginning intense workouts, particularly if you have underlying medical concerns.

• Do you want to increase your level of fitness and naturally reduce your appetite? Start doing HIIT right now, and make wise food choices to go along with it!