Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 17, 2025
08:06
Assessment of the Metabolic Effects of Isocaloric 2:1 Intermittent Fasting in Mice
Published on: November 27, 2019
9.1K
Intermittent Fasting in Female Reproduction: A Double-Edged Sword
Xiaohan Yang1,2,3, Wenting Liu4, Yong Zhuo1,2,3
1Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, PR China.
Nutrition Reviews
|June 30, 2025
Summary
Intermittent fasting (IF) shows promise for women's health. Time-restricted eating (TRE) may be a viable lifestyle choice for modifying eating behaviors before and during pregnancy.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Metabolic Diseases
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Over 30% of reproductive-age women are overweight or obese.
- Obesity is linked to metabolic diseases.
- Intermittent fasting (IF) is popular for weight management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the effects of IF on female reproduction.
- To investigate time-restricted eating (TRE) as a lifestyle intervention.
- To propose mechanisms of IF's impact on reproductive health.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on intermittent fasting (IF) and female reproduction.
- Analysis of alternate-day fasting (ADF) and TRE impacts.
- Exploration of potential physiological mechanisms.
Main Results:
- The impact of IF, particularly ADF and TRE, on female reproductive health is debated.
- TRE shows potential as a feasible lifestyle intervention for eating behaviors.
- Mechanisms linking IF to reproductive health require further elucidation.
Conclusions:
- Time-restricted eating (TRE) could be an acceptable intervention for women's eating behaviors.
- Further research is needed to understand IF's effects on female reproduction, especially during pregnancy.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Metabolic States of the Body: Fasting and Starvation
1.8K
During the initial hours of fasting, the body uses up its glycogen stores as an energy source. Once these glycogen reserves are depleted, the body begins breaking down stored triglycerides and structural proteins. During this stage, glycerol becomes a key substrate for gluconeogenesis, while free fatty acids undergo beta-oxidation to provide energy for tissues, such as skeletal muscle. In the fasting state, the body spares protein breakdown as much as possible to conserve muscle and structural...
1.8K
01:28Infertility in Females
406
Female infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after a year of regular, unprotected intercourse and affects about 10–15% of couples worldwide. The primary cause of female infertility is ovulatory disorders, which hinder the release of eggs. These disorders can be classified as hypothalamic amenorrhea, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), premature ovarian failure, and hyperprolactinemic anovulation disorders.
Endometriosis, a condition characterized by abnormal growth of...
Endometriosis, a condition characterized by abnormal growth of...
406
00:51Energy Budgets
9.7K
Organisms must balance energy intake with the energy required for growth, maintenance and reproduction. These trade-offs result in a variety of survivorship and reproductive strategies, including semelparity and iteroparity. Semelparous species, like annual plants, have only one reproductive episode in their lifetimes and consequently have short lifespans. Iteroparous species, by contrast, have many reproductive events during their lifetimes but have relatively few offspring. These two...
9.7K
01:28Menopause
257
Menopause, a natural biological process marking the end of a woman's fertility, typically occurs between the fifth and sixth decade of life. This phase is characterized by the exhaustion of the ovarian follicle pool, leading to less responsive ovaries despite the high levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH). The consequential decrease in estrogen production results in symptoms like hot flashes, heavy sweating, headaches, hair loss, muscle pains, vaginal...
257
01:22Hormonal Regulation of the Menstrual Cycle
718
The ovarian cycle regulates endometrial changes throughout a single menstrual cycle via the coordinated action of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and gonadotrophins.
At puberty, GnRH begins a pulsatile release pattern, which triggers the anterior pituitary gland to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The frequency and amplitude of GnRH pulses vary across the menstrual cycle, with faster pulses favoring LH release and slower pulses favoring FSH...
At puberty, GnRH begins a pulsatile release pattern, which triggers the anterior pituitary gland to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The frequency and amplitude of GnRH pulses vary across the menstrual cycle, with faster pulses favoring LH release and slower pulses favoring FSH...
718
02:07Oogenesis
64.5K
In human women, oogenesis produces one mature egg cell or ovum for every precursor cell that enters meiosis. This process differs in two unique ways from the equivalent procedure of spermatogenesis in males. First, meiotic divisions during oogenesis are asymmetric, meaning that a large oocyte (containing most of the cytoplasm) and minor polar body are produced as a result of meiosis I, and again following meiosis II. Since only oocytes will go on to form embryos if fertilized, this unequal...
64.5K