Early Time-Restricted Eating: A Pair of Analyses
In this pair of analyses, the effects of an early-time restricted eating (TRE) pattern were assessed.
People with obesity (N=59) were randomized to one of the following for 14 weeks:
- Early time-restricted eating plus overall energy restriction (allowing an 8-hour eating window from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
- Control eating schedule plus overall energy restriction (allowing intake over ≥12-hour window)
Overall energy restriction was performed by asking participants to reduce their energy intake by 500 kcal/d below the requirements for their RMR. Food intake was assessed via remote food photography.
Compared to the control schedule, early TRE did not affect diet quality, meal frequency, emotional eating, or other eating behaviors. Rather, normal eating patterns were simply condensed into a shorter time frame.
In a secondary analysis, the authors then examined the effects of these two eating patterns on cardiometabolic indicators and weight loss.
Relative to adherent participants in the control group, those who adhered to the early TRE ≥5 days per week had greater improvements in body weight (-3.7 ± 1.2 kg; p = 0.003), body fat (-2.8 ± 1.3 kg; p = 0.04), heart rate (-7 ± 3 beats/min; p = 0.02), insulin resistance as assessed via HOMA-IR (-2.80 ± 1.36; p = 0.047), and blood sugar (-9 ± 5 mg/dL; p = 0.047). They also had significantly greater improvements in mood (−2.4 ± 0.9; p = 0.009) as assessed by POMS-SF and PHQ-9, including measures of fatigue (−0.6 ± 0.3; p = 0.045). TRE participants did report greater sleep onset latency (by 7 +/- 3 minutes, p = 0.04), and sleeping less (by 30 ± 13 minutes, p = 0.03), but sleep quality did not differ between groups (0.2 ± 0.7; p = 0.79), and as noted above, fatigue was actually improved in spite of this.
This trial demonstrated that adopting a TRE approach during dietary energy restriction may offer additional benefits for the appropriate individual, compared to just dieting alone.
Citations:
Steger FL, Jamshed H, Martin CK, Richman JS, Bryan DR, Hanick CJ, Salvy SJ, Warriner AH, Peterson CM. Impact of early time-restricted eating on diet quality, meal frequency, appetite, and eating behaviors: A randomized trial. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Feb;31 Suppl 1:127-138.
Steger FL, Jamshed H, Bryan DR, Richman JS, Warriner AH, Hanick CJ, Martin CK, Salvy SJ, Peterson CM. Early time-restricted eating affects weight, metabolic health, mood, and sleep in adherent completers: A secondary analysis. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Feb;31 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):96-107.
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