Effects of time‐restricted feeding and meal timing on an 8‐week fat oxidation exercise training program—A randomized controlled trial

Time‐restricted feeding (TRF) and aerobic exercise are lifestyle interventions to prevent or manage different metabolic diseases. How these interventions interact, including the impact of meal timing, is not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of TRF on fat oxidation during exercise, whereby participants performed an 8‐week fatmax‐training program either in the fasted state or after a carbohydrate‐based snack. 36 participants were randomized into three groups. (1) Training sessions were performed in the fasted state; (2) Training sessions were performed after consuming a standardized carbohydrate‐based snack; (3) Exercise training with an ad libitum diet as a control group. Pre‐ and post‐tests included anthropometric measurements and a fatmax‐cycle‐ergometry protocol to measure substrate oxidation. Data were analyzed as workload‐matched and maximal fat oxidation using a series of mixed ANOVAs. Workload‐matched (p = 0.038) and maximal (p < 0.001) fat oxidation improved in all groups. No significant group × time interactions were found in substrate utilization. Time had a significant effect on body weight (p = 0.011), fat mass (p < 0.001), and muscle mass (p < 0.001). Results suggest that fatmax exercise training leads to improvements in fat oxidative capacity independent of fed or fasted state.