The effects of resistance exercise with and without carbohydrate (CHO) supplementation Oil hunger, postexercise food intake, and plasma ghrelin, an orexigenic gastric peptide, are poorly characterized. We examined file individual and combined effects of a resistance exercise bout and CHO consumption oil plasma ghrelin and postexercise food intake. Twenty-one apparently healthy young mile participants ([mean +/- SD] age = 20 +/- 1.8 years. body mass index = 24.8 +/- 3.3 kg/m(2)) completed ill random order 3 treatment conditions: (I) ExCHO-80-minute resistance exercise bout while consuming CHO (similar to 77 g CHO, 306 kcal); (2) ExPLA-identical exercise with a noncaloric placebo: and (3) NoExCHO-no-exercise trial Of quiet sitting and CHO consumption. Blood samples were Obtained before, during, and immediately postexercise, and 110 minutes after exercise. At 2 hours postexercise, they were provided a buffet of food from which they ate ad libitum. There Was a significant time x treatment interaction for plasma ghrelin caused by a decline from pre- to postexercise in the 2 exercise conditions compared with ill increase over time ill the NoExCHO condition. At 110 minutes postexercise, ghrelin was 21%, and 13%, lower in ExCHO and ExPLA compared with NoExCHO (both Ps <.05). However, despite the lower ghrelin concentrations for the 2 exercise conditions, file subjective ratings of hunger were not lower for these conditions compared with the NoExCHO. There were no differences in absolute ad libitum energy intake from the buffet among the 3 conditions, but relative energy intake accounting for the estimated cost of exercise was lowest among the 2 exercise conditions. We conclude that (1) weight lifting lowers plasma ghrelin concentrations during exercise and attenuates its rise during the postexercise period ill young men and (2) the lower plasma ghrelin concentration is not associated with lower subjective feelings of hunger measured 100 minutes postexercise, but is associated with a lower relative food intake. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.