A recently published research in the shows intermediate fasting during the day or merely restricting all food intake to mealtimes might improve people's motivation to exercise
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A recently published research in the Journal of Endocrinology postulates that intermediate fasting during the day or merely restricting all food intake to mealtimes might improve people's motivation to exercise.
Scientists tested different feeding patterns on mice and found that limiting access to food generated an increase of a hormone called ghrelin. The hormone creates appetite but may also increase motivation to exercise. This all follows from the discovery that a period of fasting motivated mice to initiate voluntary exercise.
Obesity is a severe and continuously growing worldwide health problem; some even call it an epidemic. Restricting food and habitual exercising would be the most straight forward and low-cost way to combat it. However, one of the problems with obesity is that it is associated with a mostly inactive lifestyle and faulty eating habits. Following a strict workout regimen can be difficult as people may not be able to exercise and lack motivation. Increased levels of ghrelin could alleviate this problem.
The study published in the Journal of Endocrinology investigated the connection between exercise and ghrelin levels in mice. Scientists monitored the wheel-running activity of the mice and compared mice that had free access to food whenever they wanted with mice that only received food two times per day, for a limited amount of time. Both groups received the same amount of food, but the mice that had limited access were significantly more active.
According to Dr. Tajiri, one of the researchers, the findings hint that hunger, which promotes ghrelin production, may additionally be involved in improving motivation for voluntary exercise when feeding is restricted. Maintaining an eating routine with regular mealtimes or fasting could also boost motivation for physical activity in overweight people. Nevertheless, he stated that we should not forget that these findings are, as of yet, solely based on animal studies.
Further research is needed before any definitive conclusions can be made. However, Dr. Yuji Taljiri and his collaborators might be on to something here. If the findings get confirmed in studies on humans, it might spark a new approach to combating obesity.
Source: Voluntary exercise is motivated by ghrelin, possibly related to the central reward circuit
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