Low Fat Loss Response after Medium-Term Supervised Exercise in Obese Is Associated with Exercise-Induced Increase in Food Reward

Graham Finlayson,Phillipa Caudwell,Mark Hopkins,John Blundell,Neil King,Catherine Gibbons

doi:10.1155/2011/615624

Graham Finlayson, Phillipa Caudwell + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/615624

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Abstract

Objective. To examine exercise-induced changes in the reward value of food during medium-term supervised exercise in obese individuals. Subjects/Methods. The study was a 12-week supervised exercise intervention prescribed to expend 500 kcal/day, 5 d/week. 34 sedentary obese males and females were identified as responders (R) or non-responders (NR) to the intervention according to changes in body composition relative to measured energy expended during exercise. Food reward (ratings of liking and wanting, and relative preference by forced choice pairs) for an array of food images was assessed before and after an acute exercise bout. Results. 20 responders and 14 non-responders were identified. R lost 5.2 kg ± 2.4 of total fat mass and NR lost 1.7 kg ± 1.4. After acute exercise, liking for all foods increased in NR compared to no change in R. Furthermore, NR showed an increase in wanting and relative preference for high-fat sweet foods. These differences were independent of 12-weeks regular exercise and weight loss. Conclusion. Individuals who showed an immediate post-exercise increase in liking and increased wanting and preference for high-fat sweet foods displayed a smaller reduction in fat mass with exercise. For some individuals, exercise increases the reward value of food and diminishes the impact of exercise on fat loss.

Highlights

The capacity for exercise to reduce overweight varies considerably between individuals [1,2,3,4]
Mean duration of the acute exercise bout was greater at baseline compared to week 12 (P < .001) and mean verified expenditure of the bout was less at baseline than week 12 (P < .01)
We hypothesised that acute exercise would increase the reward value of food measured at the outset of the intervention, and that after 12 weeks of regular supervised exercise these effects would be dependent on the degree of energy compensation identified by classifying participants as Responders or Nonresponders based on changes in body composition

Summary

Introduction

The capacity for exercise to reduce overweight varies considerably between individuals [1,2,3,4]. The extent that changes in food reward go on to influence food choice may determine the degree of compensatory eating [7, 8]. It has been hypothesised that exercise causes a neurochemical response that has a sensitizing action on brain reward systems (e.g., [17]). Another possibility is the deliberate choice of highly palatable, energy-dense foods (e.g., fatty or sweet tasting “treats”) to reward virtuous behavior or regulate changes in mood [18] or stress [19]

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Conclusion