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Effects of time-restricted eating on body composition and performance in athletes: a systematic review and
Ruting Lin1, Yubo Wang1, Zhenyu Shuai2
1College of Education, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China.
Background:
Time-restricted eating (TRE) has gained increasing attention as a dietary strategy for body mass management and metabolic health. However, its efficacy in athletic populations remains unclear. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the effects of TRE on energy intake, body composition, and performance in athletes.
Methods:
Following PRISMA guidelines, the review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261291351). Six databases were searched from inception to January 10, 2026. Randomized controlled trials comparing TRE with non-TRE dietary patterns in adult athletes were included if they reported body composition or performance outcomes. Pooled effects were estimated as standardized mean differences (SMDs; Hedges' g) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using random-effects models. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2 and evidence certainty using GRADE.
Results:
Sixteen studies from 15 articles involving 245 athletes were included. TRE did not significantly alter energy intake (SMDpooled = -0.35, 95%CI: -0.77 to 0.07, p = 0.11). Compared with non-TRE dietary patterns, TRE resulted in small but significant reductions in body mass (SMDpooled = -0.27, 95%CI: -0.50 to -0.04; p = 0.02) and body fat% (SMDpooled = -0.39, 95%CI: -0.68 to -0.11, p = 0.01), while fat mass (SMDpooled = -0.23, 95%CI: -0.48 to 0.02, p = 0.07) and lean mass (SMDpooled = -0.16, 95%CI: -0.42 to 0.09, p = 0.21) were unchanged. TRE had no significant effects on aerobic capacity (SMDpooled = 0.04, 95%CI: -0.29 to 0.37, p = 0.82), muscular endurance (SMDpooled = -0.20, 95%CI: -0.52 to 0.13, p = 0.23), muscular strength (SMDpooled = 0.01, 95%CI: -0.25 to 0.27, p = 0.94), or power (SMDpooled = -0.12, 95%CI: -0.44 to 0.20, p = 0.47). Subgroup analyses suggested potentially greater reductions in body mass and body fat% among elite athletes, although between-subgroup differences were not statistically significant. Certainty of evidence ranged from very low to moderate.
Conclusion:
TRE may represent a feasible dietary strategy for athletes seeking modest reductions in body mass and body fat% without clear detrimental effects on performance. However, evidence remains limited by small samples, short interventions, and methodological concerns, warranting larger, well-controlled, and longer-term trials across diverse athletic populations.
Systematic Review Registration:
PROSPERO unique identifier CRD420261291351.
