A lot of people say that exercising makes them hungry. These people say that there is no incentive to exercise as they will just end up eating too much and ending up negating the positive effects of working out. This seems to contradict with scientific research which found that exercise does not increase appetite.

Exercise Does Not Increase Appetite

An interesting study was published in International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders in 1998. The researchers reviewed existing research on the effects of exercising on driving up the appetite.

According to the researchers, the relationship between food consumption and exercising is driven by some key factors. These include the intensity, duration and frequency of physical activity. It is also driven by the fitness level of an individual.

There was a widely held belief that physical activity was not effective for losing weight. The main reason for this belief is that working out created an energy deficit. This energy deficit drove up food intake. The researchers found that recent studies in obese and normal weight people showed that substantial periods of exercising did not drive up food intake. This is indeed contrary to popular belief held by many.

Comparisons done between sedentary and normally active people showed little or no effect on hunger or total daily food intake. This observation was also true when comparing people during periods of rest or strenuous activity. The researchers concluded that there was only a loose psychological relationship between energy expenditure and the amount of food we consume.

The researchers went on to say that this loose relationship between energy expenditure and food consumed made exercising an effective strategy for losing weight and managing weight loss. This is because review of research thus far shows that exercising does not increase appetite. Yet exercise creates an energy deficit that allows weight loss.

Exercise Helps Create Calorie Deficit

Working out creates a calorie deficit that helps you lose weight and keep the weight off.  At the same time, exercise does not increase appetite. Someone who is exercising but not losing weight is probably making very poor food choices.