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The effect of graded levels of exercise on energy intake and balance in free-living women

International Journal of Obesity volume 26, pages 866–869 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Aim: We assessed the effect of graded increases in exercised-induced energy expenditure (EE) on appetite, daily energy intake (EI), total daily EE and body weight in six lean women using a within-subject, repeated measures design.

Method: Subjects were each studied three times during 7 day treatments, corresponding to no-exercise (control; Nex; 0 MJ/day), medium exercise level (Mex; ∼1.9 MJ/day) and high exercise level (Hex; ∼3.4 MJ/day), with 2 day maintenance beforehand. Subjects self-weighed ad libitum food intake. EE was assessed by continual heart rate monitoring. During waking hours subjects recorded hourly sensations of hunger and appetite.

Results: EE amounted to 9.2, 11.0 and 12.1 MJ/day (F (2, 10)=5.67; P=0.023 (s.e.d.=0.87)) on the Nex, Mex and Hex treatments, respectively. The corresponding values for EI were 8.9, 9.2 and 10.0 MJ/day (F (2, 10)=4.80; P=0.035 (s.e.d.=0.36)). There were very weak treatment effects on hunger. Weight loss was significantly different from zero on the Mex and Hex treatments.

Conclusion: Markedly increasing EE through exercise produced significant but partial compensations in EI (∼33% of EE due to exercise). Accurate adjustments of El to acute increases in EE are likely to take weeks rather than days.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, UK

    RJ Stubbs, A Sepp, DA Hughes & AM Johnstone

  2. Biomathematics and Statistics, The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, UK

    G Horgan

  3. Psychology Department, BioPsychology Group, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    N King & JE Blundell

Authors
  1. RJ Stubbs
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  2. A Sepp
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  3. DA Hughes
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  4. AM Johnstone
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  5. N King
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  6. G Horgan
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  7. JE Blundell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to RJ Stubbs.

Additional information

Part of this work was presented as an abstract at the Nutrition Society Summer Symposium, University of Surrey, Guildford, June 1998.

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Stubbs, R., Sepp, A., Hughes, D. et al. The effect of graded levels of exercise on energy intake and balance in free-living women. Int J Obes 26, 866–869 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801874

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