[GLOBAL ECONOMIC TIMES] It is nearly impossible for an ordinary person, other than a professional athlete, to lose weight through exercise alone. You are more likely to reach your goal if you combine exercise and diet. The problem is appetite. Appetite, a fundamental human instinct, is a desire that is difficult to resist. However, new research has shown that intense exercise can help with weight loss by suppressing hormones that stimulate appetite. It has been shown to be much more effective for women than for men.
A new study published on the 24th (local time) in the Journal of the Endocrine Society shows that high-intensity exercise is more effective in suppressing hunger than moderate-intensity exercise in healthy adults. In particular, women responded more strongly than men.
This study examined the effect of exercise intensity on ghrelin, a hormone that plays an important role in appetite regulation. Ghrelin is secreted when you are hungry and stimulates appetite, so it is called ‘hunger hormone’ or ‘hunger hormone’ and is considered the enemy of dieting. In general, levels are highest before a meal and lowest after a meal.
“We found that high-intensity exercise suppresses ghrelin levels more than moderate-intensity exercise,” said Dr. Kara Anderson, a postdoctoral researcher in kinesiology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and the first author. “Also, after high-intensity exercise, people do moderate-intensity exercise. “I felt less hungry than after exercising,” he explained.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, high-intensity exercise is equivalent to ‘difficulty having a conversation.’ Examples include jogging and running (over 8 km per hour), which consume more than 6 times more energy than sitting still, riding a bicycle uphill, and jumping rope more than 100 times per minute. Moderate-intensity exercise is an intensity that is ‘difficult to do while singing.’ Activities that consume 3 to 6 times more energy than sitting still include fast walking (about 4.5 to 8 km per hour) for healthy people, table tennis, and badminton.
According to the researchers, ghrelin exists in two forms: acylated ghrelin (AG) and non-acylated ghrelin (DAG). Most of it circulates in the body in the AG form (about 78%) and affects appetite. AG binds to cell receptors to induce appetite and stimulate stomach movement. DAG was initially thought to be inactive, but is now known to bind to an unidentified receptor with independent biological effects. DAG has been shown to have no appetite stimulating effect or to suppress appetite.
The study was conducted on 8 men (average age 43 years) and 6 women (average age 32 years). After fasting overnight, participants performed a variety of exercises and reported their hunger and desire to eat after the exercise. The researchers measured and analyzed their AG, DAG, total ghrelin, and lactate levels.
Studies have shown that women have higher basal ghrelin levels than men. Of note, only women had a significant decrease in acylated ghrelin levels after high-intensity exercise. Men did not show a significant decrease. DAG was suppressed in both men and women.
Moderate-intensity exercise showed no change or a net increase in ghrelin levels. This suggests that exercise that exceeds the lactate threshold (the exercise intensity at which lactic acid begins to accumulate in the blood) may lead to ghrelin suppression.
When you exercise, your body produces lactic acid as a byproduct. The researchers interpreted that high-intensity exercise is required to exceed the lactate threshold, and that the lactic acid produced when this threshold is exceeded may be an important factor in alleviating hunger.
Dr. Anderson said, “Exercise should be thought of as ‘drug.’ “The ‘dose’ should be tailored to suit the individual’s goals,” he said. “Our study suggests that high-intensity exercise may be important in suppressing appetite, which may be particularly useful as part of a weight loss program.”
Obese people generally have low ghrelin levels. Ghrelin also has other functions in the body, including helping with fat storage, stimulating growth hormone secretion, and regulating sugar and insulin.
Meanwhile, this study contradicts previous research results that found that high-intensity exercise can lead to weight gain.
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