Alternate day fasting and endurance exercise combine to reduce body weight and favorably alter plasma lipids in obese humans

TLDR

The study tested whether combining alternate‑day fasting with endurance exercise yields greater improvements in body composition and plasma lipids than either intervention alone. Sixty‑four obese participants were randomized for 12 weeks into four groups: combination, ADF alone, exercise alone, or control. The combination group lost 6 kg body weight, reduced fat mass and waist circumference, preserved lean mass, lowered LDL cholesterol, raised HDL cholesterol, enlarged LDL particle size, and decreased small HDL particles, outperforming the single‑intervention groups.

Abstract

This study examined whether the combination of alternate day fasting (ADF) plus exercise produces superior changes in body composition and plasma lipid levels when compared to each intervention alone.Obese subjects (n = 64) were randomized to 1 of 4 groups for 12 weeks: 1) combination (ADF plus endurance exercise), 2) ADF, 3) exercise, or 4) control.Body weight was reduced (P < 0.05) by 6 ± 4 kg, 3 ± 1 kg, and 1 ± 0 kg in the combination, ADF, and exercise groups, respectively. Fat mass and waist circumference decreased (P < 0.001), while lean mass was retained in the combination group. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol decreased (12 ± 5%, P < 0.05) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased (18 ± 9%, P < 0.05) in the combination group only. LDL particle size increased (P < 0.001) by 4 ± 1 Å and 5 ± 1 Å in the combination and ADF groups, respectively. The proportion of small HDL particles decreased (P < 0.01) in the combination group only.These findings suggest that the combination produces superior changes in body weight, body composition, and lipid indicators of heart disease risk, when compared to individual treatments.