Fitness

Vigorous Workouts Suppress Hunger, Especially for Women

Published

1 year ago

October 25, 2024

Vigorous Workouts Suppress Hunger, Especially for Women

FRIDAY, Oct. 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A heart-pounding workout suppresses a person’s hunger levels better than less strenuous exercises like a brisk walk or active yoga, a new study shows.

Running, swimming laps or taking a fast-paced spin class is more effective in suppressing the hunger hormone ghrelin than less intense exercise, researchers report.

What’s more, women might respond better than men to this sort of exercise, results show.

“We found that high-intensity exercise suppressed ghrelin levels more than moderate intensity exercise,” said lead researcher Kara Anderson, a postdoctoral fellow with the University of Virginia School of Medicine. “In addition, we found that individuals felt ‘less hungry’ after high-intensity exercise compared to moderate-intensity exercise.”

For the study, researchers examined eight men and six women. All fasted overnight and then completed exercises of varying intensity levels.

The intensity of their exercise was measured by levels of lactic acid in their bloodstream. Lactic acid is produced in the body during intense physical activity.

The researchers then tested participants’ blood levels of ghrelin, and asked them to self-report their appetite levels.

Ghrelin has been shown to have wide-ranging effects in the body, influencing energy balance, appetite, blood sugar levels, immune function, sleep and memory, researchers noted.

Women had higher levels of ghrelin prior to exercise, compared to men.

But only women had significantly reduced levels of acylated ghrelin — one form of the hormone — following intense exercise, researchers said.

“We found that moderate intensity either did not change ghrelin levels or led to a net increase,” researchers wrote in their paper.

The findings, published Oct. 24 in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, suggest that exercise above the lactate threshold “may be necessary to elicit a suppression in ghrelin,” researchers noted.

“Exercise should be thought of as a ‘drug,’ where the ‘dose’ should be customized based on an individual’s personal goals,” Anderson said in a journal news release. “Our research suggests that high-intensity exercise may be important for appetite suppression, which can be particularly useful as part of a weight-loss program.”

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about physical activity intensity.

SOURCE: The Endocrine Society, news release, Oct. 24, 2024

Related Topics:Exercise news womens health

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Fitness

Women who hit this weekly exercise target halve their risk of early death – here’s how to reach it

Published

2 hours ago

April 8, 2026

Press Room

Women who hit this weekly exercise target halve their risk of early death – here’s how to reach it

Staying active is key to lifelong health – but it becomes even more important in midlife. Hormonal changes, particularly during menopause, can lead to reduced muscle mass, lower bone density and slower recovery.

A new study published in PLOS Medicine reinforces this, finding that women who meet recommended physical activity guidelines have around half the risk of dying from any cause compared to those who are inactive.

Researchers from the University of Sydney analysed data from 11,169 women born between 1946 and 1951 (aged 47-52 at the start of the study) over more than 15 years. Participants, part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, completed nine surveys between 1996 and 2019.

They reported how often they met the World Health Organization guideline of 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week between 2001 and 2016.

The study’s results

Just 5.3 per cent of women who met the activity guidelines died during the study, compared with 10.4 per cent of those who didn’t. In other words, staying active throughout midlife was linked to roughly half the risk of death.

Similar trends were seen for deaths from cardiovascular disease and cancer, although smaller sample sizes made these findings less conclusive. Researchers were also unsure whether starting exercise later – in your mid-50s or 60s – offers the same benefits as staying active consistently through midlife.

‘Staying active throughout midlife can make a real difference for women’s long-term health,’ said study author Dr Binh Nguyen, from the Prevention Research Collaboration at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre and School of Public Health. ‘Maintaining recommended levels of physical activity over multiple years helps protect against early death,’ she added.

Physical activity guidelines

Like the WHO, the NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week for adults aged 19-64.

Moderate activity includes brisk walking, cycling or dancing. Vigorous exercise includes running, swimming, climbing stairs, and sports such as football or rugby.

How to exercise during midlife

Staying active during midlife can be challenging, particularly if you’re dealing with lower energy levels or physical symptoms linked to hormonal changes.

Former Olympian and Women’s Health trainer Michelle Griffith-Robinson shares her advice for staying consistent and comfortable:

Wear breathable clothing to help manage overheating and hot flushes.
Try new activities like Pilates, yoga or martial arts to improve balance and keep things interesting.
Include strength training at least twice a week to support bone health, reduce body fat and boost metabolism.
Aerobic exercise releases endorphins, helping to lift mood and maintain a healthy weight.
If you’re feeling tired, listen to your body and scale back – even a walk counts.

After years living with endometriosis and undergoing seven rounds of IVF, Radio 4 presenter Emma Barnett turned to training with PT Frankie Holah to rebuild strength and a more positive relationship with her body. Download the Women’s Health UK app to access Frankie’s full training plan.

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Fitness

Forget sit-ups — the ‘body saw’ is the spine-conserving, six-pack building exercise you’ve probably never heard of

Published

14 hours ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

Forget sit-ups — the ‘body saw’ is the spine-conserving, six-pack building exercise you’ve probably never heard of

It’s common knowledge in fitness circles, but a lot of people don’t know that the classic sit-up exercise — that staple of gym classes and boot-camp style training — is actually terrible for your back, and most personal trainers and fitness apps are quietly leaving it in the past.

Military organizations, including the US Army Rangers and British Army, are also dropping it from their fitness tests. The age of the sit-up is over — so everyone who was tortured with it at school can breathe a sigh of relief.

Article continues below

The Harvard report above recommends the plank as a spine-safe alternative, as planks “recruit a better balance of muscles on the front, sides, and back of the body” — however, we can make the plank even more effective.

Adding a little movement to your new corework staple can supercharge the muscles recruited, which is great for your summer six-pack plans.

Introducing the body saw…

What is the body saw?

The body saw is effectively a plank, during which you rock backwards and forwards. Because your body is in a straight plank position, it’s literally a ‘sawing’ motion using your body, hence the name.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo in Canada studied the body saw alongside other advanced ab-focused moves, such as hanging leg raises and walkouts into push-ups, focusing on “which particular muscles were challenged and the magnitude of the resulting spine load” in 14 young men.

The researchers said that although all the exercises produced “substantial abdominal challenge”, the body saw did so “in the most spine conserving way”.

It’s a plank variation made harder with the stability issues involved in adding movement to the hold, recruiting more muscles as you perform the movement while still trying to keep your core tight like a standard plank. If you want to try this advanced move, watch the video, and check out our how-to guide, below.

How to do the body saw

Assume a plank position, with your forearms and toes on the ground. Your palms should be flat.
Shift your body forward so that your shoulders are over your forearms, then back to the start again.
Repeat 10 times for 3-5 sets, or set a timer to do this exercise continuously for a set period of time.

We’ve got loads more fitness content here at TechRadar — if you liked this, you should check out our series of workout-orientated listicles, The Fit List.

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Fitness

Health and fitness boost: four outdoor exercise sites on the way

Published

1 day ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

Health and fitness boost: four outdoor exercise sites on the way

Picture by South West Voice Photography.

Campbelltown residents could soon be members of one of the fittest local government areas in the Sydney metropolitan area.

A new suite of outdoor fitness equipment is being delivered across Campbelltown to support active, healthy lifestyles.

Once complete our residents will have more reasons to head outside and get moving.

Construction is now under way at four locations as part of the council’s outdoor fitness facilities program.

The program aim is to create free, accessible spaces that make it easier for people of all ages and abilities to stay active in their local neighbourhoods.

“The new equipment across the four locations is all about making it easier for our community to get out and make the most of our local parks,” says the Mayor of Campbelltown, Darcy Lound.

“This project ensures residents have access to free fitness equipment, supporting overall health and wellbeing for everyone in Campbelltown,” said Cr Lound.

The outdoor fitness facilities program is funded by the NSW Government through the Western Sydney infrastructure grants program.

“There’s not too many better partnerships than the State Government and Council working together to deliver great projects, and this is another example of that.

‘This is something that Campbelltown not only needs but deserves, and our children will get much benefit out of it as well as other members of the community,’’ Mayor Lound said.

“It’s particularly enlightening to see investment going into supporting our local community getting out and exercising for free in a public place,” said Greg Warren, the State Member for Campbelltown.

The four locations are in Eagle Farm Reserve, Eagle Vale, Ophelia Reserve, Rosemeadow, Clematis Reserve, Macquarie Fields and Marsden Park in the centre of Campbelltown, pictured above.

Marsden Park last received an update on its outdoor exercise equipment 10 years ago.

For more information about this project, visit: https://www.campbelltown.nsw.gov.au/City-Improvements/WILGA-250-Outdoor-Fitness-Facilities-Program