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Immediate post-exercise energy intake and macronutrient preferences in normal weight and overweight pre-pubertal
Dan Nemet1, Rakefet Arieli, Yoav Meckel
1Child Health and Sports Center, Pediatric Department, Meir General Hospital, Kfar-Saba, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel. dan.nemet@clalit.org.il
Insights
Exercise type impacts children's food intake differently. Resistance exercise reduced intake in normal-weight children, while swimming increased it in overweight children, affecting macronutrient preferences.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition and Exercise Science
- Behavioral Pediatrics
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing concern, necessitating effective interventions.
- Understanding appetite regulation in response to physical activity is crucial for managing energy balance.
- Different exercise modalities may differentially affect food intake and choices in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the immediate effects of three distinct exercise types (aerobic, resistance, swimming) on food intake and macronutrient preferences.
- To compare these effects between normal weight and overweight pre-pubertal children.
- To inform the development of optimized exercise interventions for pediatric energy balance.
Main Methods:
- Forty-four age- and gender-matched pre-pubertal children (22 overweight) participated in four sessions: three exercise types (45 min each) and a control (no exercise).
- A standardized buffet lunch was served immediately post-session.
- Total energy intake and macronutrient (carbohydrate, fat, protein) consumption were quantified.
Main Results:
- Normal weight children showed reduced energy intake post-exercise, significantly so after resistance exercise.
- Overweight children exhibited increased energy intake post-exercise, significantly so after swimming.
- All exercise types increased relative protein consumption in overweight children; overweight children consumed more energy overall than normal weight children post-exercise.
Conclusions:
- Acute exercise differentially impacts food intake and macronutrient preferences in normal weight versus overweight children.
- The type of exercise plays a significant role in modulating appetite and subsequent food choices.
- Tailoring exercise protocols based on weight status may be beneficial for achieving desired energy balance in children.
Objective:
To examine the immediate effect of three different types of popular exercise activities on food intake and preferences in normal weight and overweight children.
Subjects And Methods:
Forty-four (22 overweight) age and gender matched, pre-pubertal children participated in four separate visits. All performed three typical, 45 min, aerobic, indoor resistance and swimming exercise sessions and a control visit (no exercise). A similar buffet lunch was served immediately after each visit to both groups. The total energy intake and relative consumption of carbohydrates, fat and protein were recorded.
Results:
In the normal weight children, total energy intake was reduced following exercise. This difference reached statistical significance only following the resistance-type exercise (14.0 + or - 1.4 [58.6 + or - 5.9] versus 19.4 + or - 1.7 [81.2 + or - 7.1] kcal/kg [kJ/ kg], in resistance exercise and control, respectively; p<0.008). The different types of exercise were associated with increased relative consumption of carbohydrate and decreased consumption of fat. In contrast, in the overweight children, total energy intake was increased following exercise. This increase reached statistical significance following the swimming exercise session (23.0 + or - 2.4 [96.3 + or - 10.0] versus 18.5 + or - 1.5 [77.4 + or - 6.3] kcal/kg [kJ/kg] in swimming and control, respectively; p<0.02). All types of exercise lead to a significant increase in the relative consumption of proteins in the overweight children. Finally, the total energy intake was significantly greater in the overweight children following the control (i.e., no exercise), and all types of exercise sessions. After normalization of the total energy intake to body mass, this difference remained significant only following the swimming practice (23.0 + or - 2.4 [96.3 + or - 10.0] versus 15.9 + or - 1.6 [66.6 + or - 6.7] kcal/kg [kJ/kg] in overweight and normal weight, respectively; p<0.04).
Conclusions:
Understanding the complicated relationship between exercise, appetite, and food choices may help us to optimize exercise interventions for this unique population, and to select the best exercise protocols to achieve a desired energy balance. Food intake and preferences in response to acute exercise are different in normal weight and obese children.
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