The effect of different intensities of treadmill exercise on food reward in young men

Acute land-based high-intensity exercise has been shown to alter food reward. However, it remains unclear regarding the acute effect of different exercise intensities on food reward. Therefore, we examined the response of food reward to high- and low-intensity treadmill exercise in healthy young men. Twelve healthy young men (aged 22.8 ± 2.0 years, mean ± standard deviation) completed three, half-day laboratory-based trials (i.e., high-intensity exercise, low-intensity exercise and control), in a random order. In the exercise trials, the participants performed a 60-min exercise (from 09:30 to 10:30) at a speed eliciting 70 % (high-intensity) or 40 % (low-intensity) of their maximum oxygen uptake and then rested for 90 min. In the control trial, participants sat on a chair for the entire trial (from 09:30 to 12:00). Food reward was measured at 09:20, 10:30 and 12:00. Relative preference for high-fat foods was not altered among the three trials. The relative preference for sweet foods was higher in the high-intensity exercise trial than the low-intensity exercise (mean difference: 15.3; 95 % CI: 2.53-28.14; p = 0.007) and control (mean difference: 14.6; 95 % CI: 2.37-26.80; p = 0.007) trials at 10:30 (i.e., immediately after exercise). Greater relative preference for sweet relative to savoury foods was observed following an acute bout of high-intensity run. These findings suggest that high-intensity treadmill exercise may shift taste preference toward sweet foods in young healthy men.