Exercise's effect on appetite page

[cheffy]

Gonna try and make this short and sweet. I'm a 20 year old guy, and I've noticed that after lifting heavy or sprinting, my hunger afterwards is less than it would have been, had I not exercised. Basically, if I exercise BEFORE I eat, my appetite seems to be a lot smaller than normal. I find this satisfying, considering my appetite is typically that of a tyrannosaurus rex. Anybody else notice this? Anybody know the science/mechanics behind this?

[adamm]

That is normal for me (maybe we are two semi-unique snowflakes, however). I workout at around 11, and finish at 12 noon. I'll then drink some protein, go back to work, blah, blah, blah. Usually around 14:00 I start getting hungry again.

I honestly don't know the physiology behind it, though.

--Me

[cantat]

Happens to me too. I'm guessing when your body is under stress like that, it doesn't want the added stress of trying to digest food and so stays the appetite for a while. It'll usually take a couple hours for me to feel sincerely hungry after a hard work out. But, if I do eat before that, I don't feel like I overate or nauseous or anything.

[wolfman]

Same here, and every part of me is screaming "eat to recover!" so usually I just down a protein shake, or I've found that sometimes when I come home from the gym, take my time, shower, make some bacon and eggs, by the time I start cooking my body gets hungry, actually usually after sprints, I never feel hungry.

[primalrob]

same for me, and my workouts are always fasted for at least 16 hours. i usually have something small like sardines or a couple of eggs after, then a few hours later i get actually hungry.

i like the simplicity of exercise being the best diet tool.

[arthurb999]

Opposite for me. I workout on an empty stomach (lean gains approach) and am ravenous by lunch time. (workout at lunch).

[Leida]

Lucky you. Any and all workouts no matter when performed rise my appetite.

[cayla29s]

I don't eat for at least 4 hours before I do any lifting or sprinting as it makes me feel sluggish. When I get to the gym I sip on my homemade protein powder and half a banana mixed with some liquids. Then I'm not usually hungry for the next 2 hrs. I have been doing these a for a couple of years now and seems to work for my body.

[jakey]

similar experience. i don't workout on an empty stomach, but after lifting heavy, my appetite doesn't really come around for about 90 minutes. but... then i'm ravenously hungry! and boy do i eat big. not sure what causes this effect.

[sbhikes]

Gonna try and make this short and sweet. I'm a 20 year old guy, and I've noticed that after lifting heavy or sprinting, my hunger afterwards is less than it would have been, had I not exercised. Basically, if I exercise BEFORE I eat, my appetite seems to be a lot smaller than normal. I find this satisfying, considering my appetite is typically that of a tyrannosaurus rex. Anybody else notice this? Anybody know the science/mechanics behind this?

I tend to exercise on an empty a stomach. Sometimes I even go out to exercise hungry with my stomach growling. It can turn the hunger off for a little while, but it always comes right back, usually fairly close to immediately depending on how hungry I was. It's probably just a redirection of blood toward your extremities and muscles. Once you recover, you can get back to being hungry again.

When I was younger the hunger stayed away a lot longer. I could go on a multi-day backpack trip and barely eat anything. Nowadays I'm pretty hungry on backpack trips and the hunger mostly increases every day. It used to be I could eat less than in normal life on backpack trips. Not anymore.