Sprint Exercise Beats Leucine for Short-Term Appetite Control in Overweight Men

A randomized, double-masked crossover study in 12 sedentary overweight men found that high-intensity sprint exercise produced a clear short-term appetite-suppressing effect, whereas L-leucine supplementation alone had more modest and inconsistent impacts. Participants completed four conditions: exercise with leucine, exercise with placebo, leucine alone, and placebo alone. Both exercise trials reduced subjective appetite and food intake compared to sedentary placebo, while leucine alone lowered perceived appetite but did not consistently improve satiety or reduce intake. Exercise with placebo showed an anti-inflammatory profile, whereas combining exercise with leucine increased pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-1β. Changes in appetite perception were linked to alterations in gut-derived neuropeptides, including GLP-1, PYY, CCK, and ghrelin, alongside inflammatory markers, suggesting that acute exercise plays a dominant role in appetite regulation, with inflammation potentially contributing to the effect.

Source : https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/4/614