Acute Exercise Effects on Appetite and Energy Intake in People Living With Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Overweight and obesity are associated with dysregulation of appetite-related hormones and altered energy intake. Exercise has been proposed as a strategy to modulate appetite and support weight management. A comprehensive search of databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Academic Search Premier, and EBSCOHost, identified 19 studies (34 trials) for inclusion. Using a random-effects model, we calculated effect sizes (ES) for hormone concentration, appetite perception, and energy intake. Acute exercise exerted a moderate suppressive effect on acylated ghrelin (ES = −0.73) and a moderate, nonsignificant effect on insulin (ES = −0.55). A large but nonsignificant increase was observed for glucagon-like peptide-1 (ES = 3.96), while peptide YY showed a small, nonsignificant increase (ES = 0.24). Exercise significantly reduced hunger (ES = −0.35) and prospective food consumption (ES = −0.26), with minimal effects on fullness (ES = 0.16) and satiety (ES = 0.15). Significant reductions were found in both relative (ES = −0.54) and absolute energy intake (ES = −0.19). Exercise may be an effective short-term intervention for reducing appetite and energy intake among people living with overweight and obesity. Registration: PROSPERO CRD42024623903.