Sugars, exercise and health.
There is a direct link between a variety of addictions and mood states to which exercise could be relieving. Sugar addiction has been recently counted as another binge/compulsive/addictive eating behavior, differently induced, leading to a high-significant health problem. Regularly exercising at moderate intensity has been shown to efficiently and positively impact upon physiological imbalances caused by several morbid conditions, including affective disorders. Even in a wider set of physchiatric diseases, physical exercise has been prescribed as a complementary therapeutic strategy.



A comprehensive literature search was carried out in the Cochrane Library and MEDLINE databases (search terms: sugar addiction, food craving, exercise therapy, training, physical fitness, physical activity, rehabilitation and aerobic).



Seeking high-sugar diets, also in a reward- or craving-addiction fashion, can generate drastic metabolic derangements, often interpolated with affective disorders, for which exercise may represent a valuable, universal, non-pharmachological barrier.



More research in humans is needed to confirm potential exercise-mechanisms that may break the bond between sugar over-consumption and affective disorders.



The purpose of this review is to address the importance of physical exercise in reversing the gloomy scenario of unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles in our modern society.
Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Metabolism Research Center, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy.
Roberto
R
Codella
Diabetes Research Institute, Metabolism, Nutrigenomics and Cellular Differentiation Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
Ileana
I
Terruzzi
Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Metabolism Research Center, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy. Electronic address: livio.luzi@unimi.it.
Livio
L
Luzi
D000328:Adult; D001069:Appetite Regulation; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000628:therapy*; D066249:Craving; D015444:Exercise; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D005082:Physical Exertion; D010809:Physical Fitness; D000073893:Sugars
D000073893:Sugars
Binge/addictive eating behaviors; Exercise therapy; Sugar addiction