by - A small study found that combining time-restricted eating with high-intensity exercise could improve cardiometabolic health and promote weight loss..
- Participants who combined this diet and exercise approach achieved the most significant changes in body composition.
- Experts say this is because time-restricted eating can create a calorie deficit, and exercise can lead to an increase in lean muscle mass.
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Time-restricted eating, also known as intermittent fasting, involves limiting eating hours to a specific number of times each day.
The research published in PLOS ONE Journal found that time-restricted eating and high-intensity exercise, when combined, could promote weight loss and improve markers of cardiometabolic health, including cholesterol, blood glucose, and lipid levels.
64 obese women were assigned to one of three groups: time-restricted eating (diet only), high-intensity functional training (exercise only), or time-restricted eating plus high-intensity functional training (diet food + exercise).
The participants only ate between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, and those in the functional training groups worked out three days a week with an instructor.
After 12 weeks, all three groups had achieved significant improvements in weight loss and body composition. Favorable changes were also found in lipid and glucose levels.
Participants in the diet+exercise group experienced more significant changes in body composition and cardio-metabolic parameters compared to the other two groups.
The authors stated, “Combining time-restricted eating with High-Intensity Functional Training is an excellent strategy for improving body composition and cardio-metabolic health.”
However, they note that this is a small study and more research is needed.
Registered dietitian Emma Shafqat, who was not involved in the research, says she is not surprised by the results of this study, although time-restricted eating does not appear to restrict your total calorie intake – which is essential for weight loss. happen.
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Similarly, celebrity personal trainer Michael Baah says that the combo of time-restricted eating and high-intensity experience works well together.
“When we limit the time we eat and do vigorous exercise, our bodies become better at using energy and processing sugar, and seem to become more efficient at staying healthy,” he explains. .
Intense exercise has additional benefits when it comes to fat loss. “Time-restricted eating helps us burn fat, and intense exercise helps us build muscle,” says Baah.
This is good news for anyone who wants to maintain their weight loss in the long term as muscle mass increases and the metabolic rate of your body increases, which means you burn more calories.
In addition to encouraging weight loss, the combination of time-restricted eating and high-intensity exercise may lead to improvements in cardiometabolic health.
“Cardiometabolic disease describes a range of conditions starting with insulin resistance, progressing to the metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, and finally to more severe conditions including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes,” explains Shafqat.
She notes that time-restricted eating improves cardio-metabolic health in many ways, for example, improving glucose tolerance, reducing blood pressure, and improving health.
However, time-restricted eating will not be the right weight loss tool for everyone.
“The only way to lose fat is to have a calorie deficit. For some people, time-restricted eating is a tool that allows them to achieve that goal,” says Baah. “If they limit their time eating window, it [often] their total calories for the day are reduced, putting them in a calorie deficit.”
While this works for some people, it may not suit your lifestyle or may feel too restrictive. There is no time limit on eating the only way to lose fat. However, if you’re planning to follow a timed eating plan, Shafqat says it’s crucial to make sure you feel adequately fueled and satiated.
“I recommend starting your day with a breakfast that’s high in fiber, protein, and some fruit, for example, full-fat yogurt with seeds and fruit or porridge with extra seeds and fruit,” she says. “I would also recommend eating a good, balanced meal before 4 pm, including fiber-rich carbohydrates, protein, and plenty of vegetables to help prevent bedtime hunger.”
Shafqat says planning is key when it comes to food with a time constraint.
“In this study, there seems to be an 8-hour schedule that participants can eat, so if you’re following this schedule. I recommend scheduling your meal and snack times and preparing your food in advance.”
However you intend to lose weight, it’s a good idea to factor exercise into your schedule. If high-intensity exercise is intimidating, don’t worry, says Baah.
“Start with simple exercises and focus on using good form,” he advises.
Ideally, you should focus on a combination of strength and cardio exercises. Exercises recommended by Baah include skipping or jumping jacks, bent-over rows, weighted crunches, and reverse dumbbell lunges.
The term ‘high intensity’ can conjure up images of grim workouts, but Baah says it’s important to give your body time to rest and recover. Take a rest period of about 60 seconds between each set and plan rest days into your schedule.
The key to progress, according to Baah, is to make sure you lift heavier weights over time.
Time-restricted eating combined with high-intensity exercise appears to promote fat loss and improve other health markers related to cardiometabolic health.
However, if your goal is to lose weight, calorie deficit is the most important factor, and if you find the time restriction of eating too restrictive, you should think about something else.
