Does a really demanding training session work up your appetite or is a post-workout whey protein shake all it takes to satisfy your needs? How exercise impacts active adults isn’t explained by a study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, but its impact on adolescents appears to be influenced by body weight.

Researchers had ten obese and nine normal weight 12 to 15 year olds cycle for half an hour at 75% of capacity. Although heavier subjects were less active than lean subjects following exercise, their energy intake was significantly reduced for the rest of the day. Exercise didn’t alter the amount of calories consumed by lean subjects.

True Strength Moment: What’s interesting about this study is none of these subjects reported any changes in appetite. Why exercise made obese subjects consume less food can’t yet be explained, but this research demonstrates that, with extra calories burned and fewer consumed, hitting the gym is obviously an effective tool for improving body composition.