Family Encyclopedia >> Health

Does physical activity affect hunger and energy intake in everyone?

Some people believe that exercising cannot help control their body weight because it automatically stimulates hunger and energy intake. Using a large dataset of healthy male participants, a study determined the proportion of individuals whose hunger and energy intake were stimulated by exercise. The results showed that on the day of exercise, hunger (4%) and energy intake (10%) increased in only a small percentage of individuals. These findings therefore suggest that exercise does not stimulate the drive to eat for the vast majority of people. Additional research is needed to ensure that these findings are replicated in other key groups — such as in women and overweight people.