Research

Hormonal

A single bout of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (50% VO2max for 60 minutes) significantly reduces subsequent energy intake and creates a larger negative energy balance in obese young males compared to normal-weight controls, despite similar increases in anorexigenic gut hormones (PYY and GLP-1).

For obese individuals, a single hour of moderate cycling (50% max effort) significantly reduces the amount of food eaten afterward, creating a larger calorie deficit than in normal-weight individuals. This happens even though the 'satiety hormones' (PYY/GLP-1) rise by similar amounts in both groups. Do not rely on feeling 'fuller' hormonally; the behavioral or metabolic outcome (eating less) is the key benefit, which is actually stronger in obese populations.

ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
EI and REI were decreased by exercise in both groups, and energy deficit was significantly larger in obese subjects than in normal controls... The present findings suggest that short-term EB during a single exercise session might be regulated not by increased amounts of these gut hormones per se.
Shin-ya Ueda et al. · Journal of Endocrinology · 2009

Why this rating

Small sample size (n=7 per group), single bout design, and lack of direct causal proof for the non-hormonal mechanisms.

Source

Changes in gut hormone levels and negative energy balance during aerobic exercise in obese young males

Shin-ya Ueda et al. · Journal of Endocrinology · 2009

DOI 10.1677/joe-08-0500

crossover · n=14Cited 190×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →