Many people try fad diets, pills, surgeries and herbal supplements to control their appetite in order to manage their weight. Lately exercise is being used as a more effective tool to curb hunger. Recent studies have suggested that if you stick with the right kind of exercise, you may change how your body interacts with food. Exercise does more than just burning calories it also regulates your hormones. Let us explain you what exercise does to our body -
Effect on Appetite Hormone: Many studies have shown that a vigorous 60-minute running affects the release of two key appetite hormones, ghrelin and peptide YY. Ghrelin is the only hormone known to stimulate appetite and peptide YY suppresses appetite. It has been found that the running session caused ghrelin levels to drop and peptide YY levels to increase, indicating the hormones were suppressing appetite. However, a weight-lifting session produced a mixed result. Ghrelin levels dropped, indicating appetite suppression, but peptide YY levels did not change significantly.
Intensity of Running: Intensity of running can also affect whether you'll be stimulating or decreasing your appetite after doing the activity. Higher-intensity have better appetite-suppressing effects than lower-intensity ones.
Watch your Diet: Quality of food is more important than quantity of food in a healthy diet, so you should keep a check on nutritional quality of food. A balanced diet of complex carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin and minerals is really important for runners. Balanced meals for runners should comprise roughly 20 percent fat, 60 percent complex carbohydrate and 20 percent protein. Complex carbohydrate like grains and vegetables provide slow and steady fuel. Protein is essential for both tendon and muscle repair. The more often you run and the further distance you cover, the more repair work there will be for your muscles. Monounsaturated fat such as present in olive oil, flax seeds oil, nuts, and avocados are the healthiest fat to consume to obtain your fat calories. Also include enough water throughout the day to keep fluid levels up.
Running also helps in keeping your heart young, and strengthens your muscles and bones. But running too far, too fast, too soon can strain your muscles and put you at risk for injury. Try to avoid slanted and uneven pathways. It is best to run on soft and flat ground. But if running causes you pain, stop and take a break. See a doctor if the pain continues for more than a few days.
Exercise here is referred to a mid to high intensity workout that includes running, jogging, strength training, interval training. But unfortunately walking as a form of exercise marginally seems to affect body’s satiety (ability to stay full) mechanism as compared to the above mentioned form of exercise. Also for good results stick to an exercise routine for several months.