Food Perception Promotes Autonomic Response to Anticipate Consumption and Guides Motivated Behaviour
1 Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research
2 University of Cologne
While many homeostatic mechanisms operate based on internal feedback regulation, organisms have also evolved systems to anticipate the impact of food consumption on homeostasis. The sight and smell of food trigger numerous autonomic physiological responses, including changes in lipid metabolism through increased sympathetic activity. These predictive bodily responses ensure that nutrients are metabolized rapidly. Food perception also enables organisms to adapt their behaviour in anticipation of a change in physiological need. Our study takes a unique approach to understanding anticipatory homeostatic regulation. Building on recent findings in rodents, we conducted a randomized cross-over study in overnight fasted healthy human participants (N = 30). We explored the interplay between sensory perception (food anticipation), gut mediators (food ingestion), and adaptation of motivated behaviour. Contrasting food presentation relative to a neutral condition, our results show significantly higher hunger ratings upon the expectation and detection of the (visual and olfactory) food cue (F(1,48) = 10.45, p = .002). Moreover, heart rate activity and blood pressure analyses suggest an autonomic nervous system activation. Specifically, the pre-ejection period shows a decrease after food presentation relative to the neutral condition, reflecting an increase in sympathetic activity. Moreover, in the food cue condition, learning asymmetry between positive and negative feedback is reduced (F(2,117) = 3.99, p = .02), indicating a shift in exploitation-exploration trade-off in motivated behaviour. Collectively, our study unravels that sensory food perception coordinately primes autonomic bodily responses and affects behavioural adaptation, demonstrating that both internal physiological state and external environmental cues are anticipating metabolic changes.