Cited by 144Regulation of Appetite and ObesityEating Disorders and BehaviorsNutrition, Health and Food Behavior

The effects of exercise on the neuronal response to food cues

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Cornier, Marc-Andre, Melanson, Edward L., Salzberg, Andrea K., Bechtell, Jamie L., Tregellas, Jason R.·2012·Physiology & Behavior

Abstract

Increased physical activity is associated with successful long-term weight loss maintenance due to mechanisms likely more complex than simply increased energy expenditure. The impact of physical activity on the central regulation of food intake may be an important mechanism of this effect. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of exercise training and acute exercise on the neuronal response to food cues as well as eating behaviors. fMRI was performed in the fasted state at baseline and again after a 6 month progressive exercise intervention (supervised, 5 days/wk) both with and without an acute exercise bout in 12 overweight/obese (5 women, 7 men; BMI 33 ± 4 kg/m(2)) healthy adults. fMRI data were acquired while subjects were presented with visual stimuli of foods of high hedonic value as compared to neutral control objects. Questionnaires on eating behaviors, ratings of appeal and desire for foods, and ratings of appetite (hunger, satiety, prospective intake) using visual analog scales were also performed at baseline and again after the 6-month exercise intervention. While only a trend was observed for a reduction in body weight (102 ± 5 to 99 ± 6 kg, p=0.09), a significant reduction in fat mass was observed (36.4 ± 2.8 to 33.7 ± 3.2 kg, p=0.04), although as expected changes in fat mass were variable (-10.0 to +3.7 kg). Chronic exercise was associated with a reduction in the neuronal response to food, primarily in the posterior attention network and insula. A significant positive correlation between the change in fat/body mass and the change in insula response to food cues with chronic exercise was observed. An acute exercise bout attenuated the effects of chronic exercise. The exercise intervention, however, did not impact any of the measures of appetitive behavior. In summary, despite no effects on behavioral measures of appetite, chronic exercise training was associated with attenuation in the response to visual food cues in brain regions known to be important in food intake regulation. The insula, in particular, appears to play an important role in the potential exercise-induced weight loss and weight loss maintenance.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.11.023

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  • Behavioral training exercise may diminish participant SN reactivity to salient food cues, particularly within the ventral striatum and insula.

    “This work suggests that behavioral training exercise may diminish participant SN reactivity to salient food cues, particularly within the ventral striatum and insula (84).”
  • Reductions in weight were associated with reduced insular activation among overweight/obese adults following a 6-month exercise trial.

    “Similarly, Cornier and colleagues (84) found that reductions in weight were associated with reduced insular activation among overweight/obese adults following a 6-month exercise trial.”

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Authors
Cornier, M.-A., Melanson, E. L., Salzberg, A. K., Bechtell, J. L., & Tregellas, J. R.
Affiliations
  • University of Colorado Anschutz (US)
  • Denver VA Medical Center (US)
Venue
Physiology & Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2012-02
Volume
105
Issue
4
Pages
1028-1034
ISSN
0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2038554756
Cited by
144
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 7
FWCI
4.88
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • NIH/NCRR Colorado CTSI (UL1 RR025780)
  • NIH/NIDDK Clinical Nutrition Research Unit (DK48520)
  • NIH/NIDDK (R01DK07708, R01DK089095, R01DK072174)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
Keywords
exercise training, acute exercise, food cues, insula, appetite, dietary habits, weight loss maintenance, obesity, overweight, fat mass, food intake regulation
MeSH terms
Adult, Appetite, Appetite Regulation, Brain, Brain Mapping, Cerebral Cortex, Cues, Feeding Behavior, Female, Food, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Obesity, Photic Stimulation, Exercise, Leptin, Overweight

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