Is two days of intermittent energy restriction per week a feasible weight loss approach in obese males? A randomised pilot study

Abstract

Aim: The 5:2 diet (two non-consecutive days of 2460 KJ (600 calories) and 5 days of ad libitum eating per week) is becoming increasingly popular. This pilot study aimed to determine whether the 5:2 diet can achieve ≥5% weight loss and greater improvements in weight and biochemical markers than a standard energy-restricted diet (SERD) in obese male war veterans. Methods: A total of 24 participants were randomised to consume either the 5:2 diet or a SERD (2050 KJ (500 calorie) reduction per day) for 6 months. Weight, waist circumference (WC), fasting blood glucose, blood lipids, blood pressure and dietary intake were measured at baseline, 3 and 6 months by a blinded investigator. Results: After 6 months, participants in both groups significantly reduced body weight (P = <0.001), WC (P = <0.001) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.001). Mean weight loss was 5.3 AE 3.0 kg (5.5 AE 3.2%) for the 5:2 group and 5.5 AE 4.3 kg (5.4 AE 4.2%) for the SERD group. Mean WC reduction for the 5:2 group was 8.0 AE 4.5 and 6.4 AE 5.8 cm for the SERD group. There was no significant difference in the amount of weight loss or WC reduction between diet groups. There was no significant change in diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose or blood lipids in either dietary group. Conclusions: Results suggest that the 5:2 diet is a successful but not superior weight loss approach in male war veterans when compared to a SERD. Future research is needed to determine the long-term effectiveness of the 5:2 diet and its effectiveness in other population groups.

Intermittent versus continuous energy restriction on weight loss and cardiometabolic outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

“…During the course of the trials, 102 patients dropped out. Drop-out rates ranged from about 2% [21] to 38% for IER arms [22] and from 0% [23] to 50% [22] for CER. The number of participants analyzed at the end of the RCTs was 528.…”

“…There was a greater number of women among participants, with the exception of 3 studies with a balanced number between men and women [21, 22, 24] and 1 enrolling only men [23]. Participants were individuals with overweight/obesity; in 2 RCTs patients with T2DM were selected [23, 25], and in 1 RCT patients with multiple dysmetabolic conditions were enrolled [21]. In all RCTs except for 2 [23, 25], participants with a stable weight before the beginning of the study, without history of bariatric surgery, and without drugs impacting on weight or the other study outcomes, were studied.…”

“…Trials were performed in UK [20, 22, 26], in USA [17, 19, 25, 27], in Australia [23, 24], and Norway [21, 28]. The duration of the studies ranged from 8 weeks [27] to 24 weeks [17, 21, 23, 26].…”

Do Adults Utilizing Intermittent Fasting Improve Lipids More Than Those Following a Restricted-Calorie Diet? A Clin-IQ

“…To this end, we identified, examined, and compared 6 published articles, using the forenamed search criteria, in an attempt to discover a consensus regarding this issue. Five of these studies were randomized controlled trials (RCT), 1,[3][4][5][6] characteristics of which are summarized in Table 1.…”

Update Ernährungsmedizin 2018

“…Nach sechs Monaten haben beide Gruppen signifikant ihr Körpergewicht reduziert (5.3 ± 3.0 kg (5:2) vs. 5.5 ± 4.3 kg (Standard)). Es gab jedoch keinen signifikanten Unterschied [3]. In einer Proof-of-…”