Impact Of Time-restricted Feeding And Exercise On Eating Habits Among Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of TRF or/and exercise on eating habits among olde adults. METHODS: 56 older adults (60.0 ± 5.1 years age) were randomly assigned to control group (CON), TRF group (TRF), exercise group (EX), and TRF combined with exercise group (EX+TRF). Participants in the intervention groups were instructed to follow an eating window (only between10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. every day) or/and aerobic exercise training (60 min/d, 3 time/week) for 8 weeks. The primary outcome was the difference between groups in the change from baseline in eating habits monitored using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) and nutrient intake (base on pictures of each meal) evaluated by a professional nutritionist. Secondary outcomes included changes in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and body fat percentage. RESUTLS: Of the total 56 participants who underwent randomization, 47 (83.9%, 33 women and 14 men) completed the 8-week of intervention. There was no significant difference between the groups in eating habits (based on DEBQ). Participants in both TRF (Δ = -2412.18 ± 1211.74 kcal) and TRF + EX (Δ = -2267.43 ± 497.04 kcal) intake significantly less total calorie than CON (Δ = 239.45 ± 685.84 kcal) (p < 0.05); similar results were observed when comparing them with EX (Δ = -485.09 ± 311.14 kcal) (p < 0.05). The differences in the intake of carbohydrate and total fat were not significantly, while protein intake in EX+TRF (Δ = -107.10 ± 34.78 g) were significantly lower than both CON (Δ = 37.36 ± 55.39 g) and EX (Δ = 28.80 ± 50.54 g) (p < 0.05). Participants in TRF (Δ = -13.55 ± 7.46 g) and EX+TRF (Δ = -19.41 ± 5.62 g) also have significantly less dietary fiber than EX (Δ = 13.76 ± 12.42 g) (p < 0.05). A significant decrease in BMI was found in TRF (Δ = -1.93 ± 1.08 kg/m2) than EX (Δ = 1.75 ± 1.79 kg/m2) (p < 0.05), whereas a significant increase in body fat percentage was in EX+TRF (Δ = 2.06 ± 1.76 %) than CON (Δ = -1.40 ± 1.14 %) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Regardless of exercise, TRF would obviously reduce energy intake among older adults, who should prioritize the intake of protein and dietary fiber to sustain well-being during aging.(Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, grant numbers: 31971105 and 31801005; ClinnicalTrials.gov, NCT05865639.)