Weight loss: How exercise tells the brain to eat less

It is a common notion that the more you exercise the more calories your burn and the extreme sweating session can leave you hungry afterwards. In reality, it is just the opposite. Studies suggest that cardio exercises like running, cycling, and swimming actually decrease appetite by altering the levels of hormones in the body responsible for making you feel hungry. This happens due to the heat produced by the body.

Young-Hwan Jo, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY, first came up with this theory and further carried out a detailed study to understand the mechanism. His theory was based on the concept that after eating spicy food containing chilli, our body temperature goes up, which in turn decreases our appetite. Following the lead from this theory, he wondered if the rise in the heat in the body after exercising can also stimulate neurons in brain areas responsible for homeostasis, the regulation of basic bodily processes, including eating. An elaborated study on the matter proved that his theory was correct.