Time restricted eating study
Study code
NBR273
Lead researcher
Maria Chondronikola
Study type
Participant re-contact
Institution or company
University of Cambridge
Researcher type
Academic
Speciality area
Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders
Summary
Time-restricted eating (TRE) is a way of eating where food intake is limited to a set window of 6–12 hours each day, with no food consumed outside of that period. Research in animals has shown that TRE can improve the regulation of blood sugars and lipids even without reducing overall calorie intake. However, its impact on heart and metabolic health in people is still unclear, and only a few studies have explored this.
We are conducting a study to better understand how TRE affects people with overweight/obesity and prediabetes or insulin resistance (a condition where blood sugar and/insulin levels are higher than normal but not yet diabetes). Participants will follow a 9-hour TRE schedule for 12 weeks, and we will measure key factors related to heart health and metabolism, including:
1. How well insulin helps regulate blood sugar in different organs (like the liver, fat, and muscles).
2. How TRE affects blood sugar and fat levels over a full day and how these levels change throughout the day.
3. Changes in fat and muscle tissue that could impact metabolism.
This study will help us understand whether TRE can improve heart and metabolic health in people at high risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.