$Unique_ID{BRK02406}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Is it O.K. to Exercise Right After Meals?}
$Subject{exercise exercising after meal calories burned eating obese weight
overweight metabolism eat appetite depressant endorphins diet digestive
system digestion behavior behaviors lifestyle lifestyles exercises meals
before calory burn diets}
$Volume{I-23}
$Log{
Exercise Increases Metabolism*0003205.scf}

Copyright (c) 1992,1993   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Is it O.K. to Exercise Right After Meals?


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

QUESTION:  My exercise consists of brisk walking and is intended to help keep
my weight down.  I have heard that there is some advantage to be gained by
exercising right after a meal, because more calories are burned after eating.
I don't want to do anything that might endanger my health so I thought I might
get an opinion from you.  Do you think that this is the right way to go?
Thank you for your reply.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ANSWER:  There is no health hazard in brisk walking after eating, but there
may not be too much gain as far as weight loss or calorie burn is concerned.
Some of the results depend upon your current weight level.  A recent study
showed that thin people tend to burn a few calories more if they exercise
after a meal, while obese, overweight individuals had an advantage if they
exercised before eating.  The differences were not great, the differences
ranging between 7 to 19 calories for a half hour exercise period.  The
explanation may be that the metabolism in the heavier people tends to slow
down after eating, so fewer calories are burned.  The before dinner exercise
seems to "prime the pump" and prevents the metabolic slow down.  Since thin
people do not have this mechanism they obtained no benefit.
     There is another theory about exercise and weight loss that claims that
you should exercise during your normal dinner hour.  If the activity is long
and intense enough, some of the endorphins (pain killing hormones generated in
the nervous system during exercise) are capable of killing your appetite.
Thus you get all the benefit of the calories burned by the exercise, plus an
"appetite depressant" that helps you keep down the number of calories you
consume during the meal.  That can be a big help if you are trying control
weight.  The secret of course is to combine caloric intake during every meal,
and add on enough activity during the day, so that you at least burn all the
calories in your daily diet.

----------------

The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.