Mixed
Combining 16:8 time-restricted eating (TRE) with structured exercise yields modest additional reductions in body weight and fat mass compared to exercise alone.
If you already exercise regularly, adding a 16:8 time-restricted eating schedule (fasting for 16 hours, eating within 8 hours) may help you lose an extra 1-1.5 kg of body weight and about 1 kg of fat mass over 4-8 weeks compared to exercising without dietary timing restrictions. This benefit is modest but real, particularly if you perform aerobic exercise.
Compared with exercise alone, the combined intervention significantly reduced body weight (MD − 1.44 kg, 95% CI − 2.74 to −0.13) and fat mass (MD − 1.04 kg, 95% CI − 1.95 to −0.13).
Why this rating
Moderate certainty evidence based on GRADE assessment, limited by small sample sizes and short duration (4-8 weeks).
Source
Effects of combining exercise with a 16:8 time-restricted eating protocol on body composition and glucose–lipid metabolism in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Hengru Liu et al. · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2026
DOI 10.3389/fnut.2026.1816555
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- Combining 16:8 TRE with exercise significantly reduces triglycerides and LDL cholesterol compared to exercise alone, with greater LDL-C reductions observed in men.Moderate
- Aerobic exercise combined with 16:8 TRE yields greater reductions in body weight and fat mass than resistance training combined with 16:8 TRE.Moderate
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