Effects of drinks sweetened with sucrose or aspartame on hunger, thirst and food intake in men

Forty-two nondieting adult males were given 8 or 16 oz of lemonade, sweetened to equal intensity with either aspartame or sucrose, or the same volumes of water, or no drink. Subjects were separated into three groups receiving the drinks at different times: with a self-selection lunch, or 30, or 60 min before lunch. Food intakes did not differ when subjects received the drinks with lunch; however, when the calories from the drinks were included, intake was significantly greater with the sucrose-sweetened lemonades than in the other conditions. When subjects received the drinks 30 or 60 min before lunch, food intakes were not significantly different. Appetite ratings were not different among the conditions. When the drinks were consumed with the meal, the 8-oz sucrose-sweetened lemonade differed from the other drinks in that it did not significantly reduce thirst. The results indicate that in nondieting males, aspartame in concentrations similar to those in commercially available drinks did not increase hunger ratings or food intake. However, caloric drinks taken with lunch increased total energy intake in that meal. Also, sucrose-sweetened drinks may decrease thirst less than water or aspartame-sweetened drinks when taken with a meal.