Effects of Running and Walking on Hormonal Regulators of Appetite, The

Obesity is a current epidemic in the United States with no medical treatment. Over 3.8 million Americans weigh over 300 pounds and the effects of obesity in the United State is increasing. The primary cause of obesity is energy imbalance. Obese people tend to consume well over the recommended amount of calories and tend to participate in minimal physical activity. Obesity has negative consequences on person's physical being but also affects social, academic, mental and psychological well-being. One of the avenues to help the effects of obesity is to study appetite and hunger. Two of the important hormones used in hunger regulation are ghrelin and leptin. These were two hormones that were recognized however, the main area of study was to understand the effect of the chemical compound lactic acid. The effects of lactic acid on human subjects and how it correlated with hunger were studied. We tested a certain population of walkers and runners to come in and exercise and rest. With each test day we would take blood samples and analyze the effect of lactate on hunger and hunger ratings. I hypothesis with the increase concentrations of lactic acid while exercising, hunger rates will decrease dramatically.