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Questions and answers about sports

Why has my appetite decreased so much since working out more frequently?

2 min read

Asked by: Karen Smith

Studies have now shown that aerobic exercise — such as running, cycling, and swimming — actually decreases appetite by changing the levels of hormones that drive our state of hunger.

Can excessive exercise cause loss of appetite?

Having a decreased appetite after exercise is clinically known as exercise-induced anorexia and is a normal phenomenon experienced by exercisers. It seems most exercises can lead to suppressed hunger after physical activity — from obese individuals to beginners to well-trained athletes.

How does exercise affect your appetite?

This body of work suggests that exercise training increases fasting hunger and postprandial satiety [43,71], and may improve the coupling between energy intake and energy expenditure in response to food intake [12,43,45].

How can I increase my appetite after exercise?

If you’re always hungry after you exercise—regardless of whether you ate beforehand or how many calories you burned—try to schedule your workouts before one of your main meals, says Brown. That way, you can refuel with calories you would have consumed anyway, without having to add extra snacks into your day.

How long does exercise suppress appetite?

When you’re done exercising, hunger-triggering ghrelin quickly returns to normal levels. “Aerobic exercise also stimulates an increase in [satiety hormone] peptide YY that seems to last for two or three hours after exercise,” Stensel says.

Does your appetite decrease when you lose weight?

Losing weight generally does affect your appetite. Choosing an effective weight-loss diet is important because not all plans help control your appetite — or make it easy to reduce your caloric intake for effective weight loss.

Will I lose weight if I don’t eat after a workout?

Your body’s response to exercise differs based on whether you eat before exercise. Exercising fasted causes your body to use more fat for energy. However, research does not show that this translates to a greater loss of body fat.

Why do I not get hungry?

Loss of Appetite

Hunger is your body’s signal that it needs fuel. Your brain and gut work together to give you that feeling. So if you don’t feel like eating, a number of things could cause that dip in appetite, including certain medications, emotions, and health issues.