Of course, better combine it with exercise

Intermittent fasting has become a very popular strategy among those who seek to lose weight or, at least, keep their weight under control. However, as with most diets, clearly establish their effectiveness It is often difficult Due to the complexity of our food, our metabolism and, in general, of our own body.

New tests. Now a study has contributed New tests of the efficacy of intermittent fasting. Tests that, yes, are limited to the context in which this diet is combined with regular exercise.

The team studied a diet with a meal window limited at eight hours (inversely, 16 hours of fast) and observed that in this way a loss of “small but significant” fat was possible. All this without sacrificing muscle mass, a detail highlighted by the team.

“We observed that (a greater reduction of fat was achieved) and a lower percentage of body mass over time, when healthy adults followed (a regime) both of exercise and temporarily restricted dietcompared to those who only exercised for at least four weeks ”, explained in a press release Nadeja Wijayatunga, co -author of the study.

15 studies. In its analysis, the team carried out a systematic review of scientific literature that studied the impacts of this type of interventions. Thus, 15 recent works found in which the combined effect of intermittent fasting and exercise on our weight was analyzed. From the results described in these studies, the team carried out a meta -analysis, that is, a quantitative study to estimate an average effect.

In its study study, the team observed a statistically significant change, a loss of body mass that was not associated with a loss of muscle mass. The analysis also pointed out that variables such as age, body mass index, or the type of exercise with which the diet was accompanied, among other factors, did not affect this result.

The details of this work were published In an article In the magazine International Journal of Obesity.

Easier than counting calories. Perhaps because it is easier to tell the hours than to tell the calories, the intermittent fast has become the favorite option of many. But sometimes the easy thing is not the most effective and we already know at this point that miracle diets do not exist. That is why putting the virtues and limits of this type of strategies to the test.

It should be noted that there are various forms of intermittent fasting, depending on the frequency with which we fast and the time fraction of the day we dedicate to fasting and food. The success or failure of these strategies can also depend on other factors such as having a varied diet in the hours we dedicate to food and even factors that might seem irrelevant like our dream.

In Xataka | From the stomach to the brain, intermittent fasting affects unsuspected forms to our body

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