Macro partitioning
Hypercaloric 16:8 time-restricted eating (TRE) allows well-trained individuals to achieve similar gains in fat-free mass and strength as continuous feeding (FED) during resistance training, despite a reduction in total training volume.
If you are already training regularly and want to build muscle, you can compress your eating into an 8-hour window without losing gains, as long as you eat enough total calories (a slight surplus) and hit your protein targets (around 2.2g/kg). You might train slightly less volume, but your strength and muscle mass will still increase similarly to eating throughout the day. Focus on consistency and total intake, not just when you eat.
16:8 TRE is viable during periods of muscle size, strength, and endurance development in well-trained young men and women when engaging in progressive resistance exercise and eating in a caloric surplus with adequate protein.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with well-trained subjects, though sample size is small (n=17).
Source
Hypercaloric 16:8 time-restricted eating during 8 weeks of resistance exercise in well-trained men and women
Daniel T. Blake et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2025
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