Gym tomorrow? You will eat more today!
SOME may wonder why their early morning fitness class has not helped to banish those excess pounds.
Now scientists may have come up with an answer – people tend to eat more if they have exercise planned.
Researchers tested a group of active males and found they ate an average of 10 per cent more the night before a fitness session.
As men eat around 2,500 calories per day, the extra amount is the equivalent of a bag and a half of Walkers ready salted crisps.
Luckily, the increase was not
‘10 per cent increase’
enough to replace all the extra calories burned during the exercise session.
But researchers warned those who exercise for weight loss should be aware of their food intake and portion sizes in the period before they put on their gym kit.
The study, by Loughborough University and published in the European Journal of Nutrition, involved 14 males who regularly work out.
Each person was given three meal choices and their calorie intake was monitored. They were then told they would either be participating in an exercise class or a rest period the next day.
Results showed the amount eaten at both breakfast and lunch did not differ greatly between people in the two groups. However, energy intake in the evening was higher in those who had the fitness trial the next day.
Lead author Dr Asya Barutcu said: ‘We observed a 10 per cent increase in energy intake the day before subjects planned to complete an exercise session… so their expectation of a different activity – exercise or rest – led them to eat more in anticipation of exercise.’
The results showed the extra calories they ate was the equivalent of roughly 45 per cent of the amount burned during the work out. She added: ‘If your food intake increases as a consequence of exercise training, either before or after a session, then you might not see the results that you are expecting.’