(P20-010-25) Effects of Time-Restricted Eating and Aerobic Exercise on Adipokine Levels and Body Composition in Middle-Aged Women With Overweight/Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives: Obesity poses a significant public health challenge among middle-aged women, driven by physiological changes associated with aging and menopause. This study investigates the isolated and combined effects of time-restricted eating (TRE) and aerobic exercise (EX) on adipokine levels and body composition in middle-aged women with overweight/obesity over 12 weeks.

Methods: In this single-center, parallel-group, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial, 98 middle-aged women were randomized to four groups: TRE alone (n=24), EX alone (n=24), combined intervention (TRE+EX, n=25), and control (CON, n=25). The TRE protocol restricted daily food intake to a self-selected 8-hour window with ad libitum energy intake. The EX group performed moderate-intensity aerobic exercise three times per week. The TRE+EX group followed both protocols and the CON group maintained their usual diet pattern. The 12-week intervention measured changes in adipokine levels and body composition parameters. Generalized estimating equations, adjusting for covariates were applied to examine the intervention effects.

Results: After 12 weeks, leptin levels significantly decreased in all intervention groups compared to CON: TRE (-4.74 ng/ml; 95% CI -8.14 to -1.32), EX (-7.17 ng/ml; 95% CI -11.27 to -3.08), and TRE+EX (-7.70 ng/ml; 95% CI -10.37 to -5.02). The TRE+EX group showed greater leptin reduction than TRE alone (-2.96 ng/ml; 95% CI -5.81 to -0.11, P=0.042) but not EX alone (P=0.758). Adiponectin remained unchanged across groups (P=0.062). Body fat percentage decreased significantly in all intervention groups compared to CON: TRE (-1.34%; 95% CI -2.15 to -0.54), EX (-0.98%; 95% CI -1.63 to -0.33), and TRE+EX (-2.56%; 95% CI -3.35 to -1.77). The TRE+EX group showed greater reduction in body fat percentage compared to both individual interventions (TRE+EX with TRE: -1.22%; TRE+EX with EX: -1.58%).

Conclusions: TRE, EX, and their combination effectively modulated leptin levels and improved body composition in middle-aged women with overweight/obesity. The combined intervention provided additional benefits in regulating adipokines and body composition. These synergistic effects highlight the potential of this approach for combating obesity and related metabolic conditions.

Funding Sources: The study was funded by an internal grant from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.