Appetite, energy intake and food reward responses to an acute High Intensity Interval Exercise in adolescents with obesity

Background: High Intensity Interval Exercise (HIIE) is currently advocated for its beneficial effect on body composition and cardio-metabolic health in children and adolescents with obesity; however its impact on appetite control and food intake remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of a single HIIE session on subsequent energy intake, appetite feelings and food reward in adolescents with obesity.

Methods: Using a randomized cross-over design, ad libitum energy intake, subjective appetite, and food reward were examined in 33 adolescents with obesity (13.0 (±0.9) years) following an acute high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) versus a rest condition (CON). Absolute and relative energy intakes were measured from an ad libitum lunch meal 30 min after exercise or rest. Food reward was assessed using the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire before and after the test meal. Appetite feelings were assessed using visual analogue scales at regular intervals throughout the day.

Results: Ad libitum food intake was significantly reduced after HIIE (lunch meal: −7 (±23.7)%; p = .014 and whole day: −4 (±14.7)%; p = .044), despite unchanged appetite feelings. HIIE was also found to decrease ad libitum meal food reward in adolescents with obesity: fat relative preference (from 3.3 (±9.5) to 0.1 (±8.0); p = .03), sweet taste relative preference (from −0.8 (±13.9) to −5.0 (±11.8); p = .02) and fat implicit wanting (from 22.3 (±55.7) to −13.2 (±58.5); p = .01) were significantly decreased in response to the ad libitum meal on HIIE. When considering the degree of obesity, it appears that the adolescents with higher BMI and higher fat mass percentage showed greater food intake reductions in response to HIIE (−21 (±15)% for the third BMI tertile versus + 8 (±30)% for the first BMI tertile p = .004; −15 (±21)% for the third fat mass tertile versus + 8 (±28)% for the first fat mass tertile p = .017).

Conclusion: A single HIIE session resulted in reduced subsequent energy intake and food reward in adolescents with obesity. Our results also seem to indicate that these nutritional responses depend on the adolescents' degree of obesity with a greater anorexigenic effect observed with higher obesity.