Vigorous exercise while dieting can reduce cravings for high-fat foods

The experiment was designed to test people's resistance to the phenomenon of "craving latency," which means that the longer a craving substance is rejected, the harder it is to ignore the signals it sends

While more research is needed, the study may show that exercise can be enhanced when certain foods are eaten, said Travis Brown, a researcher in physiology and neuroscience at Washington State University.

"A really important part of maintaining your diet is having some brain power -- being able to say, 'No, I might really want to eat, but I'm going to quit

In the experiment, Brown and his colleagues from WSU and the University of Wyoming trained 28 mice to press a lever to turn on a light, make a sound, and then dispense high-fat pellets

The researchers then divided the mice into two groups: one group ran high-intensity runs on a treadmill; the other group received no additional exercise outside of their daily activities

In future studies, the research team plans to investigate the effect of varying levels of exercise on this craving and how exercise suppresses cravings for unhealthy foods in the brain

While the study is novel, it builds on work by Jeff Grimm of Western Washington University, Brown said

Whether food can be as addictive as drugs remains an open research question

The ability to ignore these signals could be another way exercise improves health, Brown said

"Exercise is beneficial in many ways: It helps with heart disease, obesity and diabetes; it may also help avoid some foods that are not suitable," he said

Journal Reference :

1. Georgia E.