Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2021 Feb 8;31(2):641-649.
doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2020.10.018. Epub 2020 Oct 31.

Does the weight loss efficacy of alternate day fasting differ according to sex and menopausal status?

Shuhao Lin  1 , Manoela Lima Oliveira  1 , Kelsey Gabel  1 , Faiza Kalam  1 , Sofia Cienfuegos  1 , Mark Ezpeleta  1 , Surabhi Bhutani  2 , Krista A Varady  3
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Does the weight loss efficacy of alternate day fasting differ according to sex and menopausal status?

Shuhao Lin et al. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. .

Abstract

Background and aims: This study examined if the weight loss and metabolic benefits of alternate day fasting (ADF) varies according to sex and menopausal status in adults with obesity.

Methods and results: This secondary analysis pooled the data of men and women (n = 75) who participated in three 12-week ADF studies (500 kcal fast day; alternated with an ad libitum intake feast day). Body weight decreased in premenopausal women (-4.6 ± 3.2%), postmenopausal women (-6.5 ± 3.2%) and men (-6.2 ± 4.4%) (main effect of time, P < 0.001), with no difference between groups (no group × time interaction). Energy intake on fast days was higher than prescribed in all groups (∼400-500 excess kcal consumed), with no differences between groups. Fat mass, lean mass, fasting insulin, and insulin resistance, and blood pressure decreased similarly in all groups (main effect of time, P < 0.05 for all comparisons). LDL cholesterol decreased more in postmenopausal versus premenopausal women (group × time interaction, P = 0.01). Fasting glucose, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides remained unchanged in all groups.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that the weight loss and metabolic benefits of ADF do not generally vary according to sex or menopausal status in adults with obesity.

Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00960505; NCT03528317.

Keywords: Intermittent fasting; Menopausal status; Metabolic disease; Obesity; Sex differences; Weight loss.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest KAV has a consulting relationship with the sponsor of the research, Nestle Health Sciences. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Subject flow chart: Pooled analysis
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Weight loss and dietary adherence
Values are expressed as means ± SD. A. Body weight significantly decreased from baseline in premenopausal women, postmenopausal women and men by week 12 (main effect of time, P < 0.001), with no difference between groups (no group × time interaction). B. Actual energy intake on the fast day was significantly greater (P < 0.01) than prescribed for premenopausal women, postmenopausal women, and men, with no difference between groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. de Cabo R, Mattson MP. Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease. N Engl J Med. 2019;381:2541–51. - PubMed
    1. Patterson RE, Sears DD. Metabolic Effects of Intermittent Fasting. Annu Rev Nutr. 2017;37:371–93. - PubMed
    1. Bhutani S, Klempel MC, Kroeger CM, Trepanowski JF, Varady KA. Alternate day fasting and endurance exercise combine to reduce body weight and favorably alter plasma lipids in obese humans. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2013;21:1370–9. - PubMed
    1. Catenacci VA, Pan Z, Ostendorf D, Brannon S, Gozansky WS, Mattson MP, et al. A randomized pilot study comparing zero-calorie alternate-day fasting to daily caloric restriction in adults with obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2016;24:1874–83. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Eshghinia S, Mohammadzadeh F. The effects of modified alternate-day fasting diet on weight loss and CAD risk factors in overweight and obese women. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2013;12:4. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Associated data