Changes in body weight and metabolic risk during time restricted feeding in premenopausal versus postmenopausal women

Abstract

Background: Time restricted feeding (TRF) involves confining the eating window to a specific number of hours, and fasting for the remaining hours of the day.

Objective: This study examined if changes in body weight and metabolic risk factors during TRF, differ between premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of an 8-week TRF study (4-6 h eating window, 18-20 h fasting window daily) conducted in adults with obesity. Male participants were excluded, and female subjects were classified in two groups based on menstrual status: premenopausal (n = 13), or postmenopausal (n = 19). Perimenopausal women were excluded from the original study.

Results: Body weight decreased by week 8 in premenopausal women (-3.3 ± 0.4%) and postmenopausal women (-3.3 ± 0.5%) (main effect of time, P < 0.001), with no difference between groups (no group × time interaction). Adherence was excellent in both groups, with premenopausal women adhering to their prescribed eating window on 6.2 ± 0.1 d/week, and postmenopausal women adhering to their window on 6.2 ± 0.2 d/week. Fat mass, lean mass, fasting insulin, insulin resistance, and 8-isoprostane (marker of oxidative stress) were reduced similarly in both groups (main effect of time, P < 0.05 for all comparisons). Visceral fat mass, relative skeletal muscle index (RSMI), blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, HbA1c, TNF-alpha and IL-6 remained unchanged in both groups by week 8.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that the weight loss and metabolic benefits of TRF do not differ between premenopausal and postmenopausal women with obesity.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03867773.

Keywords: Intermittent fasting; Menopause; Metabolic disease; Obesity; Time restricted feeding; Women.