Prof. Dr. Karsten Köhler, head of the Assistant Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health, has given various interviews in different media in connection with his publication on compensatory eating in the journal "Nutrients".
The nutritionist spoke with "SPIEGEL Wissenschaft" about cravings after training and the best strategies for weight loss, among other things, as part of the article "Training and the ravenous hunger dilemma - How sport is the best way to lose kilos", which was published on April 19, 2021.
"The fact that the kilos fall through sport is unfortunately not an automatism," explains Prof. Köhler in the "Spiegel" interview. "We have just found in a study: After physical exertion, we want to eat more, and we eat more impulsively; that means: basically, we don't care what we eat then, we just want to satisfy our hunger as quickly as possible. This compensatory food intake can actually cause us to gain weight despite physical activity. This was the case with 20 percent of our test subjects. Then the motivation to continue exercising is quickly lost."
"MDR Wissen" broadcast a radio report with Prof. Köhler on April 9, 2021, under the title "Why you should rather think about eating before exercising". In it, he addressed, among other things, the connection between sports and nutrition and explained why the body wants to get back calories burned after a sporting activity: "That's a well-known phenomenon, and that's exactly what drives this compensatory eating, that we eat more and, in case of doubt, then rather unhealthier."
On April 15, 2021, "FOCUS Online" picked up the original press release on Prof. Köhler's publication, reporting that "the present results suggest that physical exertion may tempt athletes to eat rather faster and larger amounts of food after exercise. Since weight loss is a primary motive for many to exercise, and failure to achieve desired weight loss makes quitting exercise likely, it may be a good strategy to think about what to eat afterward before exercising."
In addition, the U.S. health portal "healthline.com" still published an article on "How Exercise Can Influence What We Eat - and How Much" on April 17, 2021. "What was most surprising to us was that the increase in - hypothetical - preferences for food quantity and immediate consumption already occurred immediately after exercise, although not as strongly," Prof. Köhler is quoted as saying in the article.
The U.S. online portal "MedicalResearch.com", which reports on the latest news from medical researchers and health care providers, also addressed the topic in an interview with Prof. Köhler on April 10, 2021. In it, the head of the Assistant Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health reported that "timing matters - our results showed that post-exercise meal choices make you more prone to unhealthy choices, while (on average) you're more likely to choose healthier foods before exercise - assuming weight loss is the goal."
Last but not least, "Business Insider", which publishes global news on current business topics, politics or technology, also reported on this study by Prof. Köhler on its website on April 9, 2021.
To the homepage of the Assistant Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Karsten Köhler
Assistant Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
phone: 089 289 24488
e-mail: karsten.koehler(at)tum.de
Text: Romy Schwaiger
Photo: private