Research

Hormonal

Combining 16:8 TRE with exercise significantly reduces triglycerides and LDL cholesterol compared to exercise alone, with greater LDL-C reductions observed in men.

If you exercise regularly, adding a 16:8 time-restricted eating schedule may lead to small but significant improvements in triglycerides and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) compared to exercising without dietary timing restrictions. Men may see greater improvements in LDL-C. These benefits are modest and should be viewed as part of a broader cardiometabolic risk-reduction plan.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Significant improvements were also observed in triglycerides (SMD − 0.25, 95% CI − 0.45 to −0.06) and LDL cholesterol (SMD − 0.22, 95% CI − 0.37 to −0.08)... LDL-C reductions were more pronounced in men.
Hengru Liu et al. · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2026

Why this rating

Moderate certainty evidence for triglycerides and LDL-C, but limited by small sample sizes and short duration.

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

Meta-analysis · 15 studies
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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