Effect of a moderate exercise on the regulatory hormones of food intake in rats

Strategies used to counteract overweight include generally endurance exercise. Force-resistance exercise has not been tested yet with this objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the response of the main regulatory hormones of food intake (insulin, adiponectin, leptin, ghrelin) and corticosterone, to a short force resistance exercise. Two groups of 16 rats, 65 days old, weighing 330 g, were constituted. A standard diet (containing glucid: 72.2, lipid: 7.7, protid: 20% calories) was given “ad libitum”. One group served as control, the second group was submitted to exercise training during 5 weeks. Training reduced the rats body weight by 6.4% and the total food intake during the 5 weeks by 11%. Training lowered the insulin and ghrelin levels, while corticosterone level was increased. Insulin, ghrelin and corticosterone only reached the significant threshold p<0.05. Thus, it seems that exercise, even of low intensity and duration, induces changes on hormones that regulate food intake and limit overweight.