Time-restricted Eating effects weight loss in athletes without Impacting Performance

Researchers have found in a new study that Time-restricted Eating effects weight loss in Runners without Impacting Performance.The study has been published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Intermittent fasting is becoming increasingly popular due to its simple advice: Don't change what you eat; simply change when you eat. One popular method of intermittent fasting, 16:8 time-restricted eating (TRE), involves 16 hours fasting and eight hours eating each day.

The researchers investigated Eight weeks of time-restricted eating (TRE) in concert with habitual exercise training for effects on body composition, energy and macronutrient intakes, indices of endurance running performance, and markers of metabolic health in endurance athletes.

In this study, the investigator looked at the effects of 16:8 time-restricted eating in athletes, namely male middle- and long-distance runners, who undertook the dietary approach for eight weeks.Participants completed an incremental exercise test before (PRE) and after (POST) the 8-wk intervention for the assessment of blood lactate concentrations, running economy, and maximal oxygen uptake. Fasted blood samples were analyzed for glucose, insulin, and triglyceride concentrations. Dietary intake was assessed at PRE, MID (week 4), and POST using a 4-d semiweighed food diary.

Authors didn't find any positive or negative impact on several measurements associated with endurance running performance or metabolic health. However, 16:8 TRE produced a decrease in body weight of approximately 1.5%, or roughly two pounds in the eight weeks. The weight change happened due to a spontaneous drop in daily calorie intake by the athletes.

The researchers concluded that eight weeks of 16:8 time-restricted eating in middle- and long-distance runners resulted in a decrease in body mass commensurate with a reduction in daily energy intake, but it did not alter indices of endurance running performance or metabolic health.

The authors suggest that whether this pattern continues for longer than eight weeks or other behaviors begin to bring calorie intake or body weight back up will be interesting questions for future research.

For further reference log on to: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: March 2021 - Volume 53 - Issue 3 - p 633-642

doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002488