Different Cravings for Different Exercises

March 13, 2009 at 7:00 AM by Cafe Kristen - Comments (1)

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When I do a cardio dance class, I crave bananas afterward. 

When I do serious yoga, which is basically resistance training, I need protein. I mean I want to eat a whole cow plus her babies.

I'm glad to read that I'm not nuts for craving different foods after different exercises on That's Fit.

But actually, nuts always sound good, too.

According to a recent study by Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, the type of workout you do does have a tendency to lead to specific cravings.

It's fascinating.

An article in the MailOnline explains it well. The ghrelin hormone that stimulates hunger and the hormone peptide YY that suppresses it are to blame. But basically, our bodies will crave what we need. For example, a long and tiring swim could stimulate ghrelin, which leaves you hankering for high-fat foods that will give you a protective layer of fat. This is useful if you swim in cold waters. A run, on the other hand, might suppress your hunger on a hot day as peptide increases.

Here are more of his findings. Do you agree with them?

• Long-distance runners tend to crave fruit.
• Swimmers tend to crave carbs and chocolate
• Weight lifters tend to crave cheeseburgers, pizza or peanut butter.
• Gentle walkers see no effect on their appetites.

Here is more nutrition info from my recent story, What to Eat When You Work Out.

What foods do you crave after your workouts?

FILED UNDER: diets, energy & fatigue, exercise, in the news, nutrition, weight loss