• Research shows that physical exercise often leads to increased food consumption, whether it is treating yourself for a job well done or replenishing your energy
• However, simply watching sports videos can also increase food consumption, according to new research from emlyon business school
• Watching easy-to-perform sports leads to considerably higher sugary food intake than watching difficult ones, the researchers found

Three years ago, more than three billion people tuned in for the highly anticipated 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, which had been postponed by a year due to the global pandemic. This month, it’s expected a similar number of people, if not more, will be watching when the 2024 Olympics are hosted in Paris.

2024’s competition is set to be a celebratory return to normal sporting life, as the previous games had been closed to spectators, athletes isolating to avoid infection and competing in mostly empty stadiums. And hot on the heels of the Euros and Wimbledon, the theme for the summer is undoubtedly sport.

But, if you’re trying to eat healthily, you might want to reconsider turning on the TV.

Anyone who has ever come back ravenous from a run won’t be surprised to learn of the link between physical exercise and increased food consumption.

However, you might be surprised to learn that you don’t even need to move from the sofa to work up an appetite. New research from emlyon business school finds that simply watching sports on TV is likely to increase the amount you eat.

Understanding the link between food and sport

To test the link between eating and watching sports, the researchers invited 112 students to the Grenoble Ecole de Management experimental lab to watch a video and test some candy.

The group was split into two: one was asked to watch a video with men and women playing sports, while the other half watched one without any physical activity. Each student was handed a 70g cup of candy and asked to judge the programme’s quality for three minutes.

The students who were watching the sports video ate significantly more candy.

The study also found that men were likely to eat more than women when watching the same sports videos. This, the researchers suggested, was because women tend to be more concerned with their weight than men and therefore are more aware of their dieting goals.

Interestingly, the difficulty of the sports being watched also plays a crucial role here, the researchers, Professors Carolina O.C. Werle, Jannine Lasaleta and Mia Birau, discovered.

The female students were given the same amount of candy as before and asked to watch videos portraying either easy (light running) or difficult-to-perform (athletics long jump, gymnastics, baseball, rugby or rock climbing) sports.

Students who watched the easy sports video ate much more candy than those who watched the difficult sports video.

When watching a sport considered ‘easy’, people are likely to consume more sweet treats than they would if they were watching more ‘difficult’ sports, the researchers found.

Of course, no Olympic sport is easy.

Back in 2012, Forbes wrote an article breaking down the amount of training required for each sport. Some, such as rowing, require just two years to reach the Olympic level, so people may perceive it to be ‘easier’ than sports like fencing which takes 10-15 years to train for.

Therefore, when watching sports on TV – whether challenging or less challenging – the researchers urge us to be mindful of how this can change our eating habits.

Why does watching sports encourage you to eat more? 

But since you’re not the one doing the exercise, why might watching sports, particularly less intensive sports, encourage you to eat more?

According to the researchers, it may have something to do with goal motivation. If people feel they are not meeting a goal, they will push themselves harder. But then once they see progress they tend to ease back.

After an easy workout, for example, people may feel they have made good progress and relax, reducing motivation to pursue related goals like healthy eating. Achieving these smaller accomplishments can also make people feel like they ‘deserve’ a break, making them more likely to indulge.

Watching sports, the researchers say, can lead to a similar sense of fulfilment of such fitness goals.

“When people can picture themselves doing the activity they are watching, they feel as though they have already exercised, which can lead to more indulgent food choices,” says Professor Birau.

“If they perceive the exercise shown as easy rather than difficult, they can more easily imagine themselves doing it, leading to greater feelings of progress toward their fitness goals. This perceived achievement can make them feel they have earned the right to indulge and influence their search for a reward, often resulting in increased food intake.”

How can you use this knowledge to support your health and fitness goals?

The researchers believe the results of this study can be useful for policymakers and marketers who are aiming to encourage a healthy lifestyle.

However, the study also offers interesting insights that can help individuals achieve their health and exercise goals.

If you’re aiming to maintain a healthy eating pattern after exercising, the researchers suggest that starting your workout with an easy exercise – like walking or jogging – followed by a tougher one – like sprinting or marathon running – may be a solution.

“This approach can motivate people to start with basic exercises while reminding them that there is still a long way to go to reach their fitness goals, said Professor Birau. “This strategy could offer an alternative to promote physical activity without giving a false sense of accomplishment.”

When setting goals for anything, including exercise, research shows that striking a balance between being realistic enough not to discourage you or stress you out, and just challenging enough to excite you, can help ensure they remain motivating in the long-term.

Clearly balance is the key here, as well as being mindful of your actions.

But on the other hand, it’s also worth keeping in mind that the Olympic Games only happen once every four years, so if you choose to just enjoy them with a snack or two, you won’t scupper your fitness goals entirely. We can continue this conversation in 2028…

By, Chloë Lane

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