{"id":15427,"date":"2026-09-04T08:27:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T01:27:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/?p=15427"},"modified":"2026-09-04T08:27:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T01:27:05","slug":"im-trying-to-lose-weight-will-exercising-make-me-hungrier-and-eat-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/im-trying-to-lose-weight-will-exercising-make-me-hungrier-and-eat-more\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m trying to lose weight. Will exercising make me hungrier and eat\u00a0more?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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ArtistGNDPhotography\/Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve all been there. You spend an hour in the gym, and before you even reach the change room, you start thinking about our favourite takeaway meal \u2013 after all, you\u2019ve earned it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before long, you\u2019re tucking into a super-sized meal. Then the guilt hits: what was the point of exercising to burn all those calories if it just makes us eat even more calories?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But while this might be a familiar pattern, it\u2019s not necessarily a super-sized hunger at play. Let\u2019s see what the science says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How exercise impacts our appetite<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While many people report that exercise makes them hungry, the science is more nuanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the short term, a bout of exercise can actually suppress appetite. A meta-analysis of 20 studies found exercise reduced the hunger hormone ghrelin while increasing hormones associated with fullness, including PYY, GLP-1 and pancreatic polypeptide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this effect is temporary. A more recent systematic review and meta-analysis found exercise suppressed appetite initially, but this effect wore off 30\u201390 minutes later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So exercise isn\u2019t an appetite-suppression strategy. Rather, there appears to be a short window after exercise when our appetite may be dampened before it returns to normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is an important distinction between what happens after one workout and what happens when we exercise regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A systematic review of exercise training in adults who were above a healthy weight or who had obesity found a small increase in hunger levels while fasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there were no clear or consistent increases in post-meal or daily hunger, and exercise did not substantially increase average energy intake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, if you\u2019re exercising more, you may well feel hungrier at some point. That\u2019s not your body \u201cfighting\u201d exercise \u2013 it\u2019s a normal physiological response to having expended more energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People don\u2019t necessarily compensate by eating back all the energy they have used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does exercise intensity matter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 randomised controlled studies found both short bursts of high-intensity exercise (interspersed with recovery) and moderate-intensity continuous exercise temporarily suppressed appetite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High-intenstity exercise suppressed participants\u2019 appetites a little more, though differences weren\u2019t consistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this doesn\u2019t mean you need to start doing high-intensity interval training to control your appetite. The bigger lesson is our appetite can change temporarily in response to exercise, and people respond differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose forms of physical activity you enjoy and can realistically keep doing. Enjoyment is an important part of maintaining regular exercise, and regular activity is far more valuable than choosing a particular workout simply because it produces a short-term hormonal effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much exercise will result in weight loss?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The amount of exercise you need depends on your goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For general health, adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity on most days, plus regular light activity and muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For weight loss, more is needed. Research suggests around 60 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a day may be required to achieve meaningful weight loss from exercise alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why can you sometimes feel ravenous after exercising?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The answer isn\u2019t necessarily that exercise has \u201cswitched on\u201d your appetite. Several things can be happening at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, there\u2019s the simple biology: if you\u2019ve expended a substantial amount of energy, your body may eventually respond by increasing hunger as it works to restore energy balance. The more energy you expend, the more likely it is that genuine hunger will appear later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also psychological and behavioural factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After exercising, we may give ourselves permission to eat more because we feel we\u2019ve \u201cearned\u201d it. Research suggests people can be more likely to seek a food reward when they perceive an activity as exercise rather than simply as something enjoyable or recreational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hydration can also matter. If you\u2019ve exercised while dehydrated, thirst and hunger can sometimes be difficult to distinguish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this shouldn\u2019t be interpreted as meaning that post-exercise hunger is simply thirst in disguise. If you\u2019ve expended a lot of energy, genuine hunger is a perfectly normal response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So don\u2019t fear hunger after exercise \u2013 but don\u2019t automatically assume you\u2019ve \u201cearned\u201d a super-sized meal either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You don\u2019t need to lose a lot of weight to start noticing the health benefits.

Setting a goal to reach a healthy weight can feel daunting, but it doesn\u2019t have to be a pre-defined weight according to a \u201chealthy\u201d BMI, writes @drnickfuller<\/a> (@Sydney_Uni<\/a>). https:\/\/t.co\/T0gp7rnUOk<\/a><\/p>— The Conversation – Australia + New Zealand (@ConversationEDU) February 5, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>