Acylated Ghrelin Increases During Military Training in Lean Males

Ghrelin is an orexigenic gut hormone that induces food intake and produces a positive energy balance. Exercise can influence ghrelin levels. The effects of exercises on serum ghrelin level are conflicting.
To evaluate the effect of military training on fasting serum acylated ghrelin (active form of ghrelin).
A pretest-posttest design study was performed on 41 healthy lean males who were sedentary before their recruitment. Their fasting serum acylated ghrelin and glucose, weight, waist circumference and hunger were determined at baseline and after completing 4 weeks of military training.
Serum acylated ghrelin and glucose significantly increased (both P Four weeks military training increases fasting acylated ghrelin level independent of changes in weight or waist circumference. We suggest that ghrelin increases to counterbalance the exercise-induced negative energy balance.