High Intensity Boxing Training Sheds 2x More Body Fat Than Brisk Walking & Improves Health, Where Walking Fails

Fight your fat with a high intensity interval training program that's similar to that of pro-/amateur boxers.

Actually, it should not surprise you that the latest study from the University of Western Sydney shows that boxing training (HIIT) in adults with abdominal obesity is (a) feasible and may (b) elicit a better therapeutic effect on obesity, cardiovascular, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes than an equivalent dose of brisk walking (MICT).

What may surprise you, though, is that Birinder S Cheema et al. still feel that more "[r]obustly designed randomized controlled trials are required toconfirm these findings and inform clinical guidelines and practice for obesity treatment" (Cheema. 2015).

You can learn more about HIIT at the SuppVersity

Never Train To Burn Calories!

Tabata = 14.2kcal /min ≠ Fat Loss

30s Intervals + 2:1 Work/Rec.

Making HIIT a Hit Part I/II

Making HIIT a Hit Part II/II

HIIT Ain't For Everyone

In view of the ever-increasing number of studies that show that HIIT training is vastly superior to moderate or even low-intensity exercise in obesity treatment, the guidelines should have been changed all along. But let's forget about politics for the moment. In the study at hand, the basically healthy, yet overweight or obese study participants performed only one of the following training programs:

• Boxing training - Four 50-min sessions of supervised boxing training per week - The interval-based exercises were preceded by a 5 min warm-up of continuous skipping at a self-selected intensity. Intervals were prescribed at 2:1 (i.e. 2 min of high-intensity activity followed by 1 min of rest (standing or pacing) between intervals and exercises). Three intervals of each of the following five exercises were performed for a total of 30 min of high-intensity effort: (1) heavy bag, (2) focus mitts, (3) circular body bag, (4) footwork drills, and (4) skipping. The total amount of physical activity (excluding warm up and rest periods) was computed as 30 min x 6 metabolic equivalents (MET) per minute = 180 MET min [24]. During the high-intensity bouts, participants were instructed to exercise at a rating of perceived exertion of 15-17/20 (“hard” to “very hard”) with the goal of achieving >75% of age-predicted maximal heart rate (i.e. 220-age; HRmax).
• Walking training - Four 50-min sessions of supervised brisk walking training - Participants were instructed to begin each session with a 5-min gradual warm-up and walk as quickly as possible for the remainder of the session (45 min). The total amount of physical activity (excluding warm up) was computed as 45 min x 4 metabolic equivalents (MET) per minute = 180 MET-min.

Needless to say that the boxing group trained at a significantly higher intensity each week versus the brisk walking group (p < 0.05) - intense enough for two participants to require modifications to their exercise program.

Figure 1: Changes in physique markers and parameters of real world well-being (Cheema. 2015).

Since both participants were able to continue the exercise intervention, both still saw similar beneficial effects as their peers who trained according to the original boxing HIIT protocol. These benefits included...

• 

  Figure 2: Significant improvements in markers of cardiovascular health were achieved only with HIIT boxing, not with brisk walking (Cheema. 2015).

  having a lower attrition rate (n = 0 vs. n = 2) than the subjects in the walking group
• greater improvements in body fat percentage (p = 0.047),
• more pronounced reductions in systolic blood pressure (p = 0.026) and central aortic pressure (augmentation index | AIx; p < 0.001)),
• significantly more pronounced improvements in fitness (VO2Max), physical functioning and vitality, as well as
• greater improvements in health-related quality of life scores

over time. The walking group on the other hand, did not improve any clinical outcomes, and experienced a worsening of vitality (p = 0.043).

For the overweight and obese, working out at high intensities will lead to lower increases in appetite and thus reduce the risk of weight-regain due to episodes of binge eating| learn more

Bottom line: If the study at hand does not provide enough evidence that "HIITing it hard" is the way to if you want to reverse years of laziness, the following scientific evidence may help to convince you that taking the primrose way, once again, is not going to solve long-standing health problems: HIIT has pronounced beneficial effects on glucose management (Gillen. 2012), the number of scientists who believe that HIIT is the way to go even for patients with heart failure is ever increasing (Guiraud. 2012; Arena. 2013), the appetite suppressing effects of HIIT (compared to hours of steady state cardio | learn more) are going to help dieters avoid rebounding and there's a proven link of exercise intensity and the extent of health benefits of your workouts (Ashor. 2014) - all these arguments support the notion that you better eat clean and work out as hard as your contemporary health allows | Comment on Facebook!

References:

• Arena, Ross, et al. "Should high-intensity-aerobic interval training become the clinical standard in heart failure?." Heart failure reviews 18.1 (2013): 95-105. 
• Ashor, Ammar W., et al. "Exercise Modalities and Endothelial Function: A Systematic Review and Dose–Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials." Sports Medicine (2014): 1-18.
• Cheema, Birinder S., et al. "The feasibility and effectiveness of high-intensity boxing training versus moderate-intensity brisk walking in adults with abdominal obesity: a pilot study." BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation 7.1 (2015): 3.
• Gillen, J. B., et al. "Acute high‐intensity interval exercise reduces the postprandial glucose response and prevalence of hyperglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes." Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 14.6 (2012): 575-577.
• Guiraud, Thibaut, et al. "High-intensity interval training in cardiac rehabilitation." Sports medicine 42.7 (2012): 587-605.

Strength Training for Pedaling Performance in Cyclists; HIIT vs. Subcutaneous Fat; Half-Time Re-Warm Up Crucial for Footballers; Using Different Shoes to Prevent Injury & More

If you want to keep up with the latest science from exercise research labs around the world, today's installment of the SuppVersity Short News is for you!

It's time for another exercise research update. This time with the latest study from the latest issue Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. Studies with topics that range from performance enhancement to injury prevention and are relevant for the average and extraordinary gymrat. In other words, studies for you, me, her and him ;-)

Before we get to the details, I want to thank everyone for the positive feedback on the previous research updates. It's your feedback that allows me to tailor this website to your interests, which is why I am happy about both praise and constructive criticism on Facebook.

Read more short news at the SuppVersity

Exercise Research Uptake Nov '14 1/2

Exercise Research Uptake Nov '14 2/2

Weight Loss Supplements Exposed

Exercise Supplementation Quickie

Exercise Research Uptake Jan 12, 2015

HIIT, Caffeine & Other Success Boosters

• Strength training improves performance and pedaling characteristics in elite cyclists (Habets. 2015) - The purpose of the latest study from the Lillehammer University College was to investigate the effect of 25 weeks heavy strength training in young elite cyclists.
  
  Nine cyclists performed endurance training and heavy strength training (ES) while seven cyclists performed endurance training only (E). ES, but not E, resulted in increases in isometric half squat performance, lean lower body mass, peak power output during Wingate test, peak aerobic power output (Wmax), power output at 4 mmol/L lactate concentrations, mean power output during 40-min all-out trial, and earlier occurrence of peak torque during the pedal stroke (P < 0.05).
  

  

  Figure 1: Pre- vs. post changes (%) in relevant performance markers (Habets. 2015)

  As you can see in Figure 1 the ES group achieved superior improvements in Wmax and mean power output during 40-min all-out trial compared with E (P < 0.05). The improvement in 40-min all-out performance was associated with the change toward achieving peak torque earlier in the pedal stroke (r = 0.66, P < 0.01). Neither of the groups displayed alterations in VO2max or cycling economy.
  
  In conclusion, heavy strength training leads to improved cycling performance in elite cyclists as evidenced by a superior effect size of ES training vs E training on relative improvements in power output at 4 mmol L lactacte levels and peak power output during 30-s Wingate test, Wmax, and mean power output during 40-min all-out trial.
• Controlled-frequency breath swimming improves swimming performance and running economy (Lavin. 2015) - Respiratory muscle fatigue can negatively impact athletic performance, but swimming has beneficial effects on the respiratory system and may reduce susceptibility to fatigue. Limiting breath frequency during swimming further stresses the respiratory system through hypercapnia and mechanical loading and may lead to appreciable improvements in respiratory muscle strength. The latest study from the Human Performance Laboratory at the Ball State University assessed the effects of controlled-frequency breath (CFB) swimming on pulmonary function.
  
  

  

  Figure 2: Sign. intergroup differences were observed for the total and rel. number of breaths (Lavin. 2015).

  Eighteen subjects (10 men), average (standard deviation) age 25 (+/-6) years, body mass index 24.4 (+/- 3.7) kg/m², underwent baseline testing to assess pulmonary function, running economy, aerobic capacity, and swimming performance. Subjects were then randomized to either CFB or stroke-matched (SM) condition. Subjects completed 12 training sessions, in which CFB subjects took two breaths per length and SM subjects took seven.
  
  Post-training, maximum expiratory pressure improved by 11% (15) for all 18 subjects (P < 0.05) while maximum inspiratory pressure was unchanged. Running economy improved by 6 (9)% in CFB following training (P < 0.05). Forced vital capacity increased by 4% (4) in SM (P < 0.05) and was unchanged in CFB. As the scientists point out, "[t]hese findings suggest that limiting breath frequency during swimming may improve muscular oxygen utilization during terrestrial exercise in novice swimmers" (Lavin. 2015).
• Changes in peak fat oxidation in response to different doses of endurance training (Rosenkilde. 2015) - The latest study from the University of Copenhagen probed the effects of different doses of endurance training on the capacity to oxidize fat during exercise in sedentary, overweight men and assessed the association of these variables with changes in peak fat oxidation (PFO).
  
  Young, sedentary, overweight men were randomized to either the high-dose (HIGH, 600 kcal/day, n = 17) or moderate-dose (MOD, 300 kcal/day, n = 18) endurance training groups or controls (CON, n = 15). PFO and peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak) were measured using indirect calorimetry, body composition using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and protein levels of mitochondrial enzymes determined by Western blotting.
  

  

  Figure 3: Peak fat oxidation during a graded exercise test expressed as (a) absolute amount or (b) relative to fat-free mass at baseline (Pre) and at the end of a 12-week intervention (Post) in sedentary controls (CON, n = 15), a moderate-dose exercise group (MOD, n = 18), and a high-dose exercise group (HIGH, n = 17); while the high intensity exercise was more effective it was not extremely superior  (Rosenkilde. 2015).

  PFO increased in both MOD [1.2 mg/kg fat-free mass (FFM)/min, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.08:2.3, P = 0.03] and HIGH (1.8 mg/kg FFM/min, CI: 0.6:2.9, P < 0.001) compared with CON. Skeletal muscle expression of citrate synthase, β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and mitochondrial oxphos complexes II-V increased similarly in MOD and HIGH. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis with backward elimination of individual variables correlated with changes in PFO revealed increases in cycling efficiency, FFM, and VO2 peak as the remaining associated variables.
  
  The scientists conclude that the peak fatty acid oxidation (PFO) during exercise increased with both moderate- and high-dose endurance training. In that, the increases in PFO were mainly predicted by changes in VO2 peak, FFM, and cycling efficiency, and less with skeletal muscle mitochondrial enzymes.
• Can parallel use of different running shoes decrease running-related injury risk? (Malisoux. 2015) - The aim of the latest study from the Public Research Centre for Healt in Luxembourg was to determine if runners who use concomitantly different pairs of running shoes are at a lower risk of running-related injury (RRI).
  
  Recreational runners (n = 264) participated in this 22-week prospective follow-up and reported all information about their running session characteristics, other sport participation and injuries on a dedicated Internet platform. A RRI was defined as a physical pain or complaint located at the lower limbs or lower back region, sustained during or as a result of running practice and impeding planned running activity for at least 1 day.
  

  

  Figure 4: Relative (%) reduction in hazard ratio for injury risk (Malisoux. 2015)

  One-third of the participants (n = 87) experienced at least one RRI during the observation period. The adjusted Cox regression analysis revealed that the parallel use of more than one pair of running shoes was a protective factor [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.614; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.389–0.969], while previous injury was a risk factor (HR = 1.722; 95%CI = 1.114–2.661). Additionally, increased mean session distance (km; HR = 0.795; 95%CI = 0.725–0.872) and increased weekly volume of other sports (h/week; HR = 0.848; 95%CI = 0.732–0.982) were associated with lower RRI risk.
  
  Multiple shoe use and participation in other sports are strategies potentially leading to a variation of the load applied to the musculoskeletal system. They could be advised to recreational runners to prevent RRI.
• Half-time re-warm up increases performance capacity in male elite soccer players (Edholm. 2015) - The latest study from the Örebro University investigated the acute effects of a half-time re-warm up on performance and movement patterns in soccer match play. Using a crossover design, 22 professional male players performed traditional passive rest (CON) or a low-intensity re-warm up (RW) during the half-time period of two soccer matches. Before and after the first half and before the second half, maximal sprint and jump performance were evaluated. Time–motion analysis of the first 15 min of each half was conducted.
  

  

  Figure 5: The re-warmup improved not just abstract performance variables, but also possession of the ball during the initial 15 min of both halves in game with active half-time re-warm up (RW) or a passive half-time period (CON) in total and possession of the ball in defending, neutral, and attacking zone (Edholm. 2015).

  Sprint and jump performance were reduced (P < 0.05) by 2.6% and 7.6%, respectively, during the half-time period in CON, whereas sprint performance was maintained and the decrement in jump performance (3.1%; P < 0.05) was lower after RW. No significant interaction for high-intensity running was observed, but less defensive high-intensity running was observed after RW than CON (0.14 ± 0.06 vs 0.22 ± 0.07 km; P < 0.01). Moreover, RW had more possession of the ball in the beginning of the second half. In conclusion, traditional passive half-time rest leads to impaired sprint and jump performance during the initial phase of the second half in professional soccer players whereas a re-warm up effectively attenuates such deteriorations. Less defensive high-intensity running and more ball possession were observed after RW, indicating a game advantage at the onset of the second half. 
• The effect of high-intensity training on mitochondrial fat oxidation in skeletal muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue (Larsen. 2015) - High-intensity interval training (HIT) is known to increase mitochondrial content in a similar way as endurance training [60–90% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2peak)]. Whether HIT increases the mitochondria's ability to oxidize lipids is currently debated.
  
  

  

  Figure 5: At identical levels of palmitoyl carnitine concentrations the lipid oxidation in the subcutaneous fat of the subjects increased significantly after HIT training - this is relevant not just during exercise, but also during dieting, because it signifies that the obese subjects are now having an easier time to access the exuberant energy stores in their subcutaneous body fat stores. The result should be that they are having an easier time losing body fat (Larsen. 2015).

  Scientists from the University of Copenhagen investigated the effect of HIT on mitochondrial fat oxidation in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity, mitochondrial substrate sensitivity (Kmapp), and mitochondrial content were measured in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue in healthy overweight subjects before and after 6 weeks of HIT (three times per week at 298 ± 21 W).
  
  HIT significantly increased VO2peak from 2.9 ± 0.2 to 3.1 ± 0.2 L/min. No differences were seen in maximal fat oxidation in either skeletal muscle or adipose tissue. Kmapp for octanoyl carnitine or palmitoyl carnitine were similar after training in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue.
  
  Maximal OXPHOS capacity with complex I- and II-linked substrates was increased after training in skeletal muscle but not in adipose tissue.  The scientists conclude: "6 weeks of HIT increased VO2peak. Mitochondrial content and mitochondrial OXPHOS capacity were increased in skeletal muscle, but not in adipose tissue. Furthermore, mitochondrial fat oxidation was not improved in either skeletal muscle or adipose tissue" (Larsen. 2015).

Barefoot or Shod? A Question of Faith & Science: What do scientists and practicioners say?  Find out!

What's your favorite study? The one about increased fatty acid oxidation? That's not really news. While the study by Larsen et al. may be the first to measure it directly in the adipose tissue,  you as a SuppVersity reader should know that HIIT is an effective strategy to increase not just the acute, but also the chronic capacity to oxidize body fat.

My personal favorite is thus the "shoe study" - I mean, the insight that you can significantly reduce your injury risk by switching back and forth between different shoes is a practically highly relevant finding that may also put an end to the "shod or barefoot"-discussion I have addressed in previous articles | Comment on Facebook!

References:

• Edholm, P., Krustrup, P. and Randers, M. B. (2015), Half-time re-warm up increases performance capacity in male elite soccer players. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 25: e40–e49. doi: 10.1111/sms.12236
• Habets, B. and van Cingel, R. E. H. (2015), Eccentric exercise training in chronic mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy: A systematic review on different protocols. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 25: 3–15. doi: 10.1111/sms.12208.
• Larsen, S., Danielsen, J. H., Søndergård, S. D., Søgaard, D., Vigelsoe, A., Dybboe, R., Skaaby, S., Dela, F. and Helge, J. W. (2015), The effect of high-intensity training on mitochondrial fat oxidation in skeletal muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 25: e59–e69. doi: 10.1111/sms.12252
• Lavin, K. M., Guenette, J. A., Smoliga, J. M. and Zavorsky, G. S. (2015), Controlled-frequency breath swimming improves swimming performance and running economy. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 25: 16–24. doi: 10.1111/sms.12140.
• Malisoux, L., Ramesh, J., Mann, R., Seil, R., Urhausen, A. and Theisen, D. (2015), Can parallel use of different running shoes decrease running-related injury risk?. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 25: 110–115. doi: 10.1111/sms.12154.
• Rosenkilde, M., Reichkendler, M. H., Auerbach, P., Bonne, T. C., Sjödin, A., Ploug, T. and Stallknecht, B. M. (2015), Changes in peak fat oxidation in response to different doses of endurance training. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 25: 41–52. doi: 10.1111/sms.12151

Is Intensity the Key to Minimize Exercise Induced Cravings? What About Workout Duration? What About Sex Differences - Are Women Hungrier Than Men After Workouts?

Next to intensity and duration, sex may be an issue, as well.

On the one hand, you have Dr. Oz and other mainstream sources who say: "Exercise is the key to weight loss! You just make sure you burn an adequate amount of energy everyday and the belly will be gone sooner or later." On the other hand, you will see people like Gary Taubes say: "Whut? Beware of exercise! It's only going to make you hungry!"

A true dilemma! Specifically in view of the fact that both of them can cite studies to support their claims.

If we approach the question a bit less dogmatically, however, it will soon become obvious that neither Oz nor Taubes are "right" or "wrong". Why? Because, as usual, the subject is more complex than the "exercise yes / no" dogma suggests.

Learn more about factors that influence appetite here at the SuppVersity

Not Exercise, Diet Makes Hungry

Sour & Bitter Curb Sweet Cravings

Histidine As Fat Loss Adjuvant

Can Bacteria Cut the Cravings?

Hit the Cravings W/ HIIT Exercise

Starving Yourself Makes You Fat

You can't "out-exercise" a sloppy diet - don't even try | learn why.

In general, Oz is certainly right: For weight loss to occur, a sustained negative energy balance is required and is typically achieved by decreasing energy intake (i.e. dieting) and/or increasing energy expenditure (i.e. exercising).

Taubes, on the other hand, makes a valid point: In the real world, an increase in energy expenditure is often compensated for by an increase in energy intake.

The optimal exercise regimen would thus be one that burns a hell lot of exercise without having significant effects on the appetite of its practitioners. In today's SuppVersity article we are going to take a look at exercise variables that may influence the effect on appetite, in order to identify the "optimal exercise regimen".

Duration & intensity matter! The longer, the hungrier. The harder, the more satiated?

In one of the most comprehensive studies to date, Erdmann et al. observed in a combined sample
of normal-weight men and women that cycling for only 30 min cycling at either 50 or 100 W had no effect on subsequent appetite ratings and energy intake.

Figure 1: Effects of exercise duration and intensity on energy intake; exemplary study results
from Erdmann et al. (2007, left) and Larson-Meyer et al. (2012, right)

After 120 minutes of cycling at a fixed work rate of 50 W, on the other hand, lead to significant increases in energy intake. The problem with Erdmann's study is yet that it was conducted first thing in the morning after an overnight fast. In a "fed" scenario the impact of the exercise duration may have been more significant.

Likewise, not 100% beyond doubt are the results Larson-Meyer et al. (2012) presented in a 2012 study, the results of which would suggest that working out at lower intensities will have, while working out in the "fat burning zone" of ~70% VO2 max won't have significant effects on post-workout (2h) energy intake.

Methodological problem #1: Measuring only post-workout intake is a shortcoming of the majority of studies. Providing an ad-libitum meal exactly 10 min after exercise completion, as it was done by Westerterp-Plantenga (1997) or Almada et al. (2013), for example, leaves more then enough room for an evening binge that would annihilate the benefits of any post-workout anorexic effects of exercise.

As Deighton & Stensel point out in a recent review (2014), it is however "plausible that the higher percentage body fat and lower VO2 max in the walking group may have confounded the results." In fact, a study by Finlayson et al. demonstrated that body fat and physical activity levels may influence the energy intake response to exercise - at least in females.

The unfitter + fatter, the hungrier! At least in women!?

The scientists from the Institute of Psychological Sciences at University of Leeds analysed the energy intake response to 50 min cycling exercise and separated the participants into two groups: C
ompensators and non-compensators.

Figure 2: Men and women may react differently to exercise; specifically, in men the association between obesity + activity levels and post-workout binges is less pronounced (Finlayson. 2009; Jokisch. 2012)

Compensators were defined as the participants that increased energy intake beyond the energy cost of exercise, whereas non-compensators consumed less energy than that expended during exercise. Analysis of between-group differences revealed a significantly higher BMI and percentage body fat and a lower habitual exercise frequency in the compensators.

What is interesting, though, is that Jokisch et al. were not able to reproduce these results in a recent study with male subjects who exercised for 45 min at 65–75 % of the maximum heart rate and did not respond according to their body fat / weight levels.

Remember? You've learned in previous articles that obese men listed mainly protein/fat sources (meat dishes) among their favorite foods, obese women tended to list predominantly carbohydrate/fat sources (doughnuts, cookies, cake) and foods that were sweet (Drewnowski. 1992). This desire for sugar will be specifically pronounced in unfit women who will burn more glucose than fat during their workouts and could thus partly explain the sex difference observed in the Finlayson study.

Yet even if we assume that obese women run the risk of overeating after workouts. Deighton and Stensel, whose review I referenced previously in this article, were unable to find a single study, where the post-exercise increase in energy intake exceeded the amount of energy that was expended.

The ‘relative energy intake’ is always negative

Or put simply, if the women expend 400kcal per workout and eat 1200kcal instead of 1000kcal on the subsequent meals, they will still have a net deficit of 200kcal.

Table 1: Energy intake during the control and exercise trials of a study investigating the long(er) term effects of exercise on energy intake (King. 2010)

This is particularly relevant, since current evidence suggests that exercise, alone (we are not talking about dieting + exercise, here) won't effect the 24+ energy intake of nine healthy men, who ran for 90 min at  68.8± 0.8% of maximum oxygen uptake  followed by 8.5 h of rest (King. 2010).

Similar effects, ... or rather no effects have been observed by Hanlon et al (2012). for a 24 h period in obese and non-obese women King et al. (1997) in a study on free-living men which analyzed a time-period of 48h, and Pomerleau (2004) in physically active women over a time-period of 72h.

Bottom line: The Taubsian notion that exercise would promote overeating is thus probably incorrect. Whether one mode of exercise is better than the other, however, is still in the open. The currently available evidence gravitates towards shorter exercise durations and medium-to-high intensities.

More Than 3x Higher EPOC Induced Energy Expenditure W/HIIT vs. LISS! Read more in a previous article!

However, even if the casual walk with the dog will have you compensate for the increased energy expenditure on the next occasion. There is no evidence that this increase is going to increase your relative energy intake. In view of the non-weight loss related benefits of exercise it would thus be stupid to stop walking the dog or doing your regular aerobics.

What really counts is (a) that you exercise regularly (3x per week+) and (b) understand that exercise can promote, yet not drive weight loss: To build abs you got to train, to make them visible you got to diet  | Comment on Facebook!

Reference:

• Deighton, Kevin, and David J. Stensel. "Creating an acute energy deficit without stimulating compensatory increases in appetite: is there an optimal exercise protocol?." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 73.02 (2014): 352-358.
• Drewnowski, Adam, et al. "Food preferences in human obesity: carbohydrates versus fats." Appetite 18.3 (1992): 207-221.
• Erdmann, Johannes, et al. "Plasma ghrelin levels during exercise—effects of intensity and duration." Regulatory peptides 143.1 (2007): 127-135.
• Finlayson, Graham, et al. "Acute compensatory eating following exercise is associated with implicit hedonic wanting for food." Physiology & behavior 97.1 (2009): 62-67. 
• Hanlon, Bliss, et al. "Neural response to pictures of food after exercise in normal-weight and obese women." Medicine and science in sports and exercise 44.10 (2012): 1864-1870.
• Jokisch, Emily, Adriana Coletta, and Hollie A. Raynor. "Acute energy compensation and macronutrient intake following exercise in active and inactive males who are normal weight." Appetite 58.2 (2012): 722-729. 
• King, N. A., et al. "High dose exercise does not increase hunger or energy intake in free living males." European journal of clinical nutrition 51.7 (1997): 478-483.
• King, James A., et al. "Influence of prolonged treadmill running on appetite, energy intake and circulating concentrations of acylated ghrelin." Appetite 54.3 (2010): 492-498.
• Larson-Meyer, D. Enette, et al. "Influence of running and walking on hormonal regulators of appetite in women." Journal of obesity 2012 (2012).
• Pomerleau, Marjorie, et al. "Effects of exercise intensity on food intake and appetite in women." The American journal of clinical nutrition 80.5 (2004): 1230-1236.

Not Exercise, But Dieting Makes You Hungry: Beneficial or No Effects on Appetite of Exercise in Lean & Obese. (Ab-) using Exercise to Make Up For Messy Diets Still a Bad Idea!

Will working out make you cheat on your diet, 'cause it leaves you drained and ravenous? Or is it even a stand-alone weight loss tool with satieting and anti-depressive effects?

As a SuppVersity reader you will probably be aware of the fact that the purported "appetite increasing" effects of exercise are non-existent. Against that background, you won't be surprised to hear that scientists from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology have recently been able to show that the alleged hunger-inducing effects of exercise didn't occur, in twelve overweight/obese volunteers who had to perform moderate or high intensity exercise, either.

The exercise sessions, which were spaced 1-week apart and to which the subjects were randomly assigned in a counter-balanced fashion lasted 1 hour and were - and this may be an important fact - performed after a standard breakfast.

You can learn more about workout routines at the SuppVersity

What's the Right Training 4 You?

Hypertrophy Blueprints

Fat Loss Support Blueprint

Strength Training Blueprints

Study Proves: Overtraining Exists

Recovering from the Athlete's Triad

After the subjects had been sweating in the gy, an ad libitum test lunch was served (that's 3h after breakfast) and fasting/postprandial plasma samples of insulin, acylated ghrelin (AG), polypeptide YY3-36 (PYY3-36) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and subjective feelings of appetite were measured every 30 minutes for 3h. Nutrient and taste preferences were measured at the beginning and end of each condition using the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire. In contrast to the "increased appetite" hypothesis, but much in line with what any sane individual would expect, the "[i]nsulin levels were significantly reduced while the GLP-1 levels increased during all exercise bouts".

Figure 1: Consumed and expended energy (in kcal) before and after the workout / laziness (Martins. 2014). Both exercise modalities induced a caloric deficit because the energy expenditure was not compensated for - In the course of the rest of the 24h this advantage vanished and the total energy balance no longer significantly negative in the exercise groups.

The effects on acelyted ghrelin depended on the exercise intensity and duration and was significant only in the MICC and HIIC, but not shorter S-HIIC, compared with control. Practically relevant effects on hunger or fullness ratings, the energy intake at the subsequent ad libitum meal and the food reward the obese subjects experienced were yet not observed.

And what about the lean guys? Does exercise make lean guys hungrier?

In general the results reseachers from the Loughborough University are about to present in a soon-to-be-published paper in the scientific journal "Appetite" clearly support the results Martins et al. observed in significantly heavier subjects.

Figure 2: PYY3-36 satiety hormone levels (pg/ml) after doing nothing (diet or control) or exercise (=pre-prandial) before, during and after ad libitum test meals (Deighton. 2014)

The weight (1) was yet not the only of a total of four differences: (2) The total amount of energy the subjects expended during their standardized exercise bout was higher 40% (350kcal for the lean guys vs. 250kcal for the obese guys in the Martins study), (3) the satiety hormone PYY3-36 increased significantly in response to exercise, and (4) the study had a second, a diet arm, in which skipping breakfast (163kcal) and skipping lunch (190kcal) both lead to significant increases in appetite and corresponding reductions in PYY3-36.

Losing weight does not have to ruin your metabolism if you follow this simple set of rules.

Bottom line: The fact that exercise didn't develop any appetite increasing effects in either the obese or the lean subjects in the Martins or Deighton study, respectively probably won't be convincing enough to shut all the critics of my recommendation to use exercise as an adjunct to dietary restriction in order to lose weight.

That's something I don't care about, anyway. What I do care about, though, is the fact that there are thousands of people out there who may read the message "burn 350kcal from exercise, don't get hungry and lose 1lbs of fat in 10 days" ... yeah, I know: No SuppVersity student would ever be so stupid, but just to make sure that none of the newbies get confused and end up in the black whole some people call the "athlete's triad", although, it befalls more weekend warriors than athletes these days: Do not work out to burn calories! Work out to steer the weight loss away from muscle and towards fat and (re-)read the rules you have to follow to make sure this strategy works.

Reference: 

• Martins, Catia, et al. "Effect of Moderate-and High-Intensity Acute Exercise on Appetite in Obese Individuals." Medicine and science in sports and exercise (2014).

Heart Disease: Insufficient Sleep ✔ Diet ✔✔ Inactivity ✔✔✔ - Inactivity is the #1 Risk Factor for Heart Disease Across Adult Lifespan. Plus: Top 10 Reasons For Global Disease

You don't have to do kettlebell handstands. Just be active, girls!

We are often talking about the importance of sleep, and in fact, people who don't sleep enough have an increased risk of developing heart disease (+45%) and the fact that sleeping "too much" 9h+ is associated with a similar increase in (+38%) risk of heart disease in women (Ayas. 2003; similar data is available for men), alone, would not justify discarding the important contribution of short sleep durations to the ever-increasing number of patients with heart disease.

Similarly, a hypercaloric high fat + high sugar Western / Standard American style convenience + fast food based diet and its unwanted consequences, i.e. obesity, diabetes, etc. are unquestionably among the cornerstones of the heart disease epidemic.

One way to maximize your activity is HIIT - learn more at the SuppVersity

Never Train To Burn Calories!

Tabata = 14.2kcal /min ≠ Fat Loss

30s Intervals + 2:1 Work/Rec.

Making HIIT a Hit Part I/II

Making HIIT a Hit Part II/II

Triple Your Energy Exp.

And still, according to a recent study from the Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health at the School of Human Movement Studies of the University of Queensland  in St Lucia, Queensland, Australia, says: "From about age 30, the population risk of heart disease attributable to inactivity outweighs that of other risk factors, including high BMI" (Brown. 2014)

Now, we cannot tell, whether the same is true for men, as well, but even if it wasn't, the data from Table 1 would obviously be both, remarkable and memorable.

Table 1: Age-specific relative risks for ischaemic heart disease (IHD) for four risk factors in women (Brown. 2014)

If you look at the "population attributable risk (%)"-graph from the original paper (Figure 1), it becomes even more obvious: physical activity is the key to heart health - actually even more so for young vs. old women (187% increased risk in 20-24-year-olds vs. 95% risk increase in 53-58-year-olds; see Table 1).

 Figure 1: Population attributable risk (%) for four risk factors for IHD in women across the adult lifespan (Brown. 2014)

Even smoking is not match for inactivity, when it comes to the downstream effects on heart health. It is thus not surprising that scientists from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine report in a recent paper that for otherwise healthy middle-aged women who are overweight or obese, physical activity may be their best option for avoiding heart disease.

According to a study that followed nearly 900 women for seven years. These findings were reported in a paper led by authors at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital for Einstein, and published today in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Inactivity is a major factor, but there are other heart disease triggers: As previously stated, inactivity is one factor out of many, the study by Wang et al. identified the following additional triggers of heart diseases, namely, elevated bloog glucose = 3x higher risk, hypertension = 3 higher risk, weight gain = 16% higher risk.

Throughout the seven-year study, the women were tested annually for heart disease risk factors. They also completed an annual survey describing their physical activity for the prior 12 months, which ranged from active living, caregiving and doing household chores to exercise and sports.

METs, i.e. metabolic equivalents are a way to measure the intensity of physical activity (occupational data based on Church. 2011)

During the seven years, 373 of the participants—43 percent of the total—had progressed from having at most a single risk factor for heart disease (i.e., metabolically benign overweight/obese) to at-risk overweight/obese, meaning they had developed two or more of the following five heart-disease risk factors: hypertension; low blood level of HDL ("good") cholesterol; elevated blood levels of triglycerides, elevated fasting glucose level (indicating pre-diabetes or diabetes); and elevated levels of C-reactive protein ( indicating inflammation).

And contrary to what you may have expected in view of the constant upheaval about "eating healthy", low-to-moderate physical activity—at the start of the study and during it—was the only lifestyle factor found to protect overweight/obese women from becoming at-risk for heart disease - to be specific, their heart disease risk was reduced by 16%.

Top 10 risk factors ranked by attributa- ble burden of disease globally and in Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea (Brown. 2014)

Make no mistake about it: While being inactive is the major risk factor, it's usually so intricately linked to being obese, which is usually promoted by an unhealthy diet and a lack of regular sleep that we cannot fully discard any of the other factors. If you look at the data in the table to the right, you will also see that "globally", i.e. across all ailings and age groups, other factors are the major determinants of health & disease and ultimately, life or death!

Accordingly, health is always about the whole package, a package that includes an exercise (related Facebook News), a diet and an anti-stress + sleep component. And you don't want to miss one of them, your health depends on them!

Reference: 

• Ayas, Najib T., et al. "A prospective study of sleep duration and coronary heart disease in women." Archives of Internal Medicine 163.2 (2003): 205-209.
• Brown, Wendy J., Toby Pavey, and Adrian E. Bauman. "Comparing population attributable risks for heart disease across the adult lifespan in women." British journal of sports medicine (2014): bjsports-2013.
• Church, Timothy S., et al. "Trends over 5 decades in US occupation-related physical activity and their associations with obesity." PloS one 6.5 (2011): e19657.
• Wang, D, et al. "Progression from Metabolically Benign to At-risk Obesity in Perimenopausal Women: A Longitudinal Analysis of Study of Women Across the Nation (SWAN)." JCEM (2014).