Effects of physical exercise on food intake and body weight: Role of dorsomedial hypothalamic signaling

Physical activity or exercise contributes to energy balance via affecting energy expenditure and food intake, but how exercise affects food intake and the neural mechanism of the feeding effect of exercise remain to be determined. Growing evidence indicates that physical exercise exerts a distinct action in the control of food intake and body weight. Studies of exercise in rodent models with voluntary access to running wheels reveal an inhibitory effect of voluntary exercise on food intake and body weight. Voluntary running activity decreases food intake and body weight, prevents obesity, and slows down body weight regain. Running activity modulates corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and transthyretin (TTR) signals in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH). Altering these peptide signals affects food intake and body weight. The present review outlines these observations and highlights the potential roles for DMH peptide signaling in mediating the feeding and body weight effects of exercise.