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Review
. 2024 Aug;12(16):e70022.
doi: 10.14814/phy2.70022.

Exercise-induced appetite suppression: An update on potential mechanisms

Seth F McCarthy  1 , Jessica A L Tucker  1 , Tom J Hazell  1
Affiliations
Review

Exercise-induced appetite suppression: An update on potential mechanisms

Seth F McCarthy et al. Physiol Rep. 2024 Aug.

Abstract

The first systematic reviews of the effects of exercise on appetite-regulation and energy intake demonstrated changes in appetite-regulating hormones consistent with appetite suppression and decreases in subsequent relative energy intake over a decade ago. More recently, an intensity-dependent effect and several potential mechanisms were proposed, and this review aims to highlight advances in this field. While exercise-induced appetite suppression clearly involves acylated ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide-1 may also be involved, though recent evidence suggests peptide tyrosine tyrosine may not be relevant. Changes in subjective appetite perceptions and energy intake continue to be equivocal, though these results are likely due to small sample sizes and methodological inconsistencies. Of the proposed mechanisms responsible for exercise-induced appetite suppression, lactate has garnered the most support through in vitro and in vivo rodent studies as well as a growing amount of work in humans. Other potential modulators of exercise-induced appetite suppression may include sex hormones, growth-differentiation factor 15, Lac-Phe, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and asprosin. Research should focus on the mechanisms responsible for the changes and consider these other modulators (i.e., myokines/exerkines) of appetite to improve our understanding of the role of exercise on appetite regulation.

Keywords: anorexigenic; appetite regulation; energy intake; fullness; gut hormones; hunger; orexigenic; satiety.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript. We declare no conflicts of interest that could potentially influence the content or conclusions presented in this review.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Brief overview of the physiological regulation of appetite. GLP‐1, glucagon‐like peptide‐1; PYY, peptide tyrosine tyrosine.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Overview of the effect of exercise intensity and mode on key appetite‐regulating hormones. GLP‐1, glucagon‐like peptide‐1; PYY, peptide tyrosine tyrosine.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Overview of potential modulators involved in exercise‐induced appetite suppression. Green arrows represent the hypothesized effect on appetite. Blue arrows indicate that human data shows no effect (sideways) or an effect (downward) and a question mark indicates data is unclear or lacking.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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