Research
Macro partitioning
Time-restricted eating (TRE) does not significantly preserve lean body mass compared to control groups in adults with obesity.
Don't worry that TRE will cause you to lose muscle faster than a standard diet. The evidence shows lean mass loss is similar to control groups. Focus on protein intake and strength training to preserve muscle, as TRE itself doesn't offer a specific advantage in this regard.
GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
It demonstrated that there was no difference in lean mass between groups (−0.25 kg; 95% CI [−0.72, 0.22], p = 0.30; I2 = 0%)
Why this rating
Meta-analysis of 5 RCTs, low heterogeneity.
Source
Health effects of the time-restricted eating in adults with obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Wei‐Yi Chen et al. · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2023
DOI 10.3389/fnut.2023.1079250
Meta-analysis · 9 studiesCited 40×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Time-restricted eating (TRE) with an 8-hour daily eating window significantly reduces body weight and fat mass in adults with obesity compared to control groups, particularly when the intervention lasts longer than 12 weeks.Good
- Time-restricted eating (TRE) significantly reduces diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in adults with obesity, but does not significantly affect systolic blood pressure (SBP).Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
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