Effects of Time-restricted Eating and Aerobic Exercise Training in Women With Overweight and Obesity

Effects of Time-restricted Eating Combined With Aerobic Exercise Training on Body Composition and Cardiometabolic Parameters in Women With Overweight and Obesity: a Randomized Clinical Trial

Time-restricted eating (TRE) is a dietary approach that aims to increase fasting time and decrease the eating window. Promising TRE effects on weight loss and improvements in some cardiometabolic risk factors have been reported in studies in animals and humans. However, the impacts of TRE combined with aerobic exercise training in individuals with overweight and obesity have been insufficiently investigated.

Additionally, aerobic training performed in a fasted state appears to promote physiological adaptations that may improve the metabolic health in individuals with overweight and obesity.

The present study investigates the effects of 8 weeks of TRE associated with aerobic training in a fasted state versus a fed state on body composition and cardiometabolic parameters in women with overweight and grade 1 obesity.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female;
• Body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 34.9 kg/m²;
• Age between 20 and 40 years;
• Not engaged in any structured exercise program;
• Weight stable for ~3 months before the beginning of the study;
• Able to give written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current smoker;
• Habitual drinkers (>1 serving/day) of alcoholic beverages;
• Cardiometabolic diseases (dyslipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, etc);
• Current treatment with medication or supplements which significantly affect the main studied variables;
• Bariatric surgery;
• Night-shift workers;
• Strict vegetarian/vegan;
• Pregnancy, planned pregnancy (within the study period), lactating;
• Postmenopausal women;
• Self-reported menstrual cycle irregularities;
• Habitual fasting window >16 hours;
• Concomitant participation in other studies.