Time-Restricted Eating Without Exercise Enhances Anaerobic Power and Reduces Body Weight: A Randomized Crossover...

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Human Physiology
• Metabolic Health

Background:

• Time-restricted eating (TRE) shows promise in animal models for enhancing physical performance without exercise.
• Human evidence for TRE's effects on physical performance in non-exercise conditions is limited.
• Investigating TRE's impact on untrained adults is crucial for understanding its broader applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the effects of early TRE (eTRE; 08:00-14:00) and delayed TRE (dTRE; 12:00-18:00) on body weight, aerobic endurance, and anaerobic power.
• To compare the efficacy of eTRE versus dTRE in untrained adults under controlled conditions.
• To assess TRE's impact independent of structured exercise interventions.

Main Methods:

• A randomized crossover trial involving 28 healthy university students.
• Two 4-week interventions (eTRE and dTRE) separated by a 2-week washout period.
• Assessment of body weight, aerobic endurance (cycling time to exhaustion), and anaerobic power (sprint cycling peak power).

Main Results:

• Both eTRE and dTRE significantly reduced body weight, with eTRE showing a greater reduction.
• Aerobic endurance did not significantly change following either intervention.
• Both eTRE and dTRE significantly improved anaerobic power, with dTRE demonstrating a more substantial enhancement.

Conclusions:

• Time-restricted eating, both early and delayed, effectively promotes weight loss and boosts anaerobic power in untrained individuals.
• Early TRE is more advantageous for weight reduction.
• Delayed TRE offers greater benefits for improving anaerobic performance, independent of exercise.