Metabolic Adaptation During Long-Term Food Deprivation

A series of studies performed on 29 male Wistar rats found that food deprivation for 9 days with free access to water is accompanied by a loss of 24% in body weight, while causing hypertrophy of the adrenal glands and involution of the thymus. At the same time, gradual changes in the indicators of protein, carbohydrate, and fat metabolism were observed, associated with changes in energy substrates.