Research has found that after brain-consuming activities such as thinking, reading, creating, and problem-solving, the brain will release eating signals, namely “hunger” to remind itself that it needs to replenish calories to cope with these brain-consuming activities. So we often have the desire to eat and drink after studying or working.
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TAIPEI, TAIWAN (Merxwire) –Do you often want to treat yourself to a big meal after getting off work? Research has found that when the brain is engaged in brain-burning activities such as thinking, reading, creating, and problem-solving, it will think that the body needs to replenish more energy, and will release eating signals, namely “hunger” to remind you that it is time to eat to cope with the problem. Because these activities consume brain power you always feel the desire to eat after studying or working.
Maybe you are confused about why using your brain makes you feel hungry like this. When the brain is working seriously, it will activate the transmission of nerve signals and increase the energy demand. Although the average weight of the brain only accounts for about 2% of the body weight, the calories required for operation account for 20% of the basal metabolic rate, so it will consume the body’s calories and increase the glucose consumption in your body. At the same time, the appetite switch will be turned on, causing hunger.
Université Laval in Quebec, Canada, used 15 students as the research subjects to compare the energy consumed when they were engaged in burn brain activities and resting states, and their eating status after completion. Research results show that after 45 minutes of typing on a computer, the energy consumed was only 3 calories, but the amount of food eaten after the activity was 220 calories more than that of the rest group.
That is when we use our brains, we only consume a small amount of glucose, but we will feel hungry after brain activity, want to add more calories to meet the needs of the brain, and even overeat. The brain itself is quite picky and only prefers to gain glucose, so after we work or study, we often want to eat sweets or starchy foods to satisfy ourselves. Therefore, not only did I not consume many calories while using my brain, but I also accidentally gained weight by eating more, and the glucose content in my body became quite unstable.
Is there any way to reduce the feeling of hunger after using the brain? Scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have found that exercise may reduce overeating behavior after brain activity. The study, led by exercise physiologist Gary Hunter, was published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Studies have found that intense exercise causes muscles to contract violently, increasing blood sugar and lactate levels in the blood and brain blood flow. The brain uses blood sugar and lactate as food, reducing the urge to eat a lot after using the brain.
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The research subjects were 38 healthy college students. They were first tested for their health status and metabolic rate, and the types of pizza they liked to eat were also investigated. In the first experiment, they were asked to sit still for 35 minutes, and then they could eat any pizza with the taste and quantity they wanted as the basic value of the experiment. In the second experiment, the researchers asked students to take a 20-minute college and graduate school entrance exam and then divided them into two groups. One group sat quietly for 15 minutes and then ate pizza. The other group performed 15 minutes of treadmill exercise after the test, with a 2-minute brisk running and 1-minute brisk walking pattern, repeated 5 times, and then ate pizza.
The results of the study found that students who took a break from taking the exam were hungrier than the control group and ate about 100 more calories than they did during the first test. However, the group that exercised first and then ate after the exam consumed 21 to 25 calories less than the first time. If the calories consumed during exercise are included, these students who exercised first and then consumed 200 calories fewer than other students. The difference is significant. Research leader Gary Hunter believes that this is because short and high-intensity exercise promotes the release of sugar and lactate into the blood, which satisfies the brain and prevents this group of students from overeating after using their brains.
Therefore, experts believe that if you can do 15 minutes of exercise that makes you sweat after working with your brain, it will help increase blood sugar and lactate and relieve hunger. Reducing the brain’s desire to overeat can help lower the chance of weight gain. The exercise you choose depends on your situation. You can go outdoors for a brisk walk, jog, or ride a bicycle. You could choose to skip rope indoors, perform standing aerobics, yoga, or do some core exercises. Before exercising, you could eat a small amount of easily absorbed food to replenish your physical strength, such as bananas, white rice, or juice, which will help you complete the exercise smoothly.
In a busy and competitive society today, taking care of your studies and career will consume a lot of energy. After work, you will inevitably want to eat a big meal to replenish your energy and satisfy yourself. Even becoming a habitual way to relieve stress and causing more and more people to suffer from overweight or metabolic decline. Try getting up and exercising after a busy day to relieve hunger in the brain and reduce excessive food intake, so that you can take care of your career while maintaining a healthy body.
