Time-restricted feeding with resistance training is not superior to conventional feeding for body composition and muscle strength: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Verdi AMOH, Soares JM, Andrade MJ, Mazur CE, Gonçalves DC. · Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias · 2026
Intermittent fasting is becoming popular for its quick benefits on body composition. With rising interest in weight loss, understanding its impact on fat-free mass is essential. It investigates the effects of time-restricted feeding compared to conventional diets on body composition in healthy adults undergoing resistance training. The registration is in PROSPERO (CRD42023423274), and ethical approval was not required. No financial support was received. Databases consulted included MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Embase, and Scopus, with the final search conducted on November 13, 2023. Only randomized controlled trials with healthy human participants aged 18 or older, who underwent TRF and strength training, were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the RoB2 tool. The review comprises 5 studies, with a final sample of 120 individuals. Among them, only 2 studies showed a statistically significant difference in the impact of fasting on body weight and fat mass. Regarding fat-free mass, it remained consistent across groups at the intervention's end. The meta-analysis suggested an estimate of -0.48kg (95% CI: -2.52 to 1.56), indicating that the average
Result: did not significantly differ from zero. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, the
Findings: do not provide statistically significant evidence that TRF increases fat-free mass.