A new study said that high-intensity physical workouts may be more beneficial, especially for women. The study was published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society and conducted by researchers from the University of Virginia in the US.

The study showed that more than moderate exercise, and engaging in vigorous physical activity like jumping rope, swimming, and cycling can suppress hunger levels in healthy adults. The small study noted that females may be more susceptible to this response.

High-intensity exercises are short and vigorous workouts that push the body to its maximum capacity. This improves cardiovascular health, strength and endurance. These exercises are usually performed during high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and alternate between intense bursts of activity and short rest periods. Common high-intensity exercises include sprinting, burpees, jump squats and cycling, each of these helps to increase the heart rate quickly.

The intensity boosts calorie burn during and after the workout, promoting fat loss and muscle building in less time than traditional exercises. These workouts help to can improve your aerobic and anaerobic fitness which makes them ideal for people with busy schedules. However, due to their demanding nature, one needs proper warm-up and follow technique. This workout might also not be suitable for beginners or those with certain health conditions.

Researchers say that high-intensity exercises can be beneficial for women due to the effect of ghrelin which is a hormone that stimulates appetite. They noted that hunger levels are significantly reduced after high-intensity exercise, as compared to moderate-intensity exercise or control (no exercise).

Lead author Kara Anderson, from the varsity, said that people felt ‘less hungry’ after high-intensity exercise compared to moderate-intensity exercise. To understand the effect of exercise intensity and sex on ghrelin levels and appetite in untrained humans the study included eight males and six females.

The participants fasted overnight and then completed exercises of varying intensity levels. This was determined by measurements of blood lactate, followed by self-reported measurements of appetite. The results showed females had higher levels of total ghrelin compared with males. However, only females demonstrated “significantly reduced acylated ghrelin (AG)” following the intense exercise, the findings showed. AG and deacylated ghrelin (DAG) are the two forms of the hormone ghrelin.

Besides hunger, ghrelin is also known to affect energy balance, appetite, glucose homeostasis, immune function, sleep, and memory. Anderson explained that exercise can be compared to a drug, whose ‘dose’ should be customised based on an individual’s personal goals.

While the study suggests that high-intensity exercise can help in appetite suppression and aid in weight loss, more research with a longer follow-up duration is needed to confirm these preliminary observations.

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