Working hard can help you reach your weight loss goals faster – especially if you’re a woman.
a little study Researchers at the University of Virginia found that vigorous exercise suppresses levels of the “hunger hormone” ghrelin in healthy adults compared to moderate exercise.
“We found that individuals felt ‘less hungry’ after high-intensity exercise compared to moderate-intensity exercise,” said lead study author Cara Anderson.
Eight men and six women took part in the study by fasting overnight and exercising at various intensities. Then he told how hungry he was.
The researchers measured their blood lactate, which indicates exercise intensity, and their levels of ghrelin, a hormone produced primarily in the stomach that tells the brain when it’s time to eat.
Ghrelin circulates in two forms – acylated, the active hormone, and deacylated, the most abundant form of ghrelin in the body.
Female participants had higher amounts of total ghrelin than men at the beginning of the study — and only the women demonstrated “significantly less” acylated ghrelin after intense exercise, according to the study.
Less acylated ghrelin means less hunger.
Moderate-intensity exercise did not change or increase ghrelin levels, the researchers said.
These findings, published on Thursday Journal of the Endocrine Societypoint out that suppressing ghrelin may require exercise above a certain lactate threshold.
“Exercise should be thought of as a ‘medicine,’ where the ‘dosage’ should be customized based on a person’s individual goals,” Anderson said. “Our research suggests that high-intensity exercise may be important for appetite suppression, which may be particularly useful as part of a weight loss program.”
New study results add to this long running debate About whether cardio or strength training is better for weight loss.
Cardio generally burns more calories per sweat session, but strength training Muscle is built, which causes the body to burn more calories when it rests.
