ArticleNutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD2021
Does the weight loss efficacy of alternate day fasting differ according to sex and menopausal status?
Article in Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 11 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Alternate Day Fasting for Weight Loss, Weight Maintenance and Cardio-protection
Alternate Day Fasting Combined With a High Protein Background Diet for Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance in Adults With Obesity
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training with Caloric Restriction Reduces Insulin Resistance in Obese Premenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2023Trial
- Sex-Specific Responses to Intermittent Fasting: A Narrative Review Across Physiological, Clinical, and Psychosocial Contexts.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Sexual Dimorphism and Menopausal Transition: A Narrative Review of the Metabolic and Physical Effects of Intermittent Fasting.Nutrients · 2026Review
- The impact of intermittent energy restriction on women's health.The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society · 2026Review
- Temporal changes in physiological parameters in Chinese adults during a month-long 5:2 fasting regimen: an exploratory observational study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- The Effect of Intermittent Fasting Combined with Ad Libitum Days on Adults' Elevated Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review of Human Studies.Iranian journal of public health · 2025Review
- Intermittent Fasting: Myths, Fakes and Truth on This Dietary Regimen Approach.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Fasting: From Physiology to Pathology.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2023Review
- Retention, Fasting Patterns, and Weight Loss With an Intermittent Fasting App: Large-Scale, 52-Week Observational Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2022Observational
- Clinical application of intermittent fasting for weight loss: progress and future directions.Nature reviews. Endocrinology · 2022Review
- 5:2 intermittent fasting tapers food intake in the refeeding state and ameliorates metabolic disturbances in mice exposed to olanzapine.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsThis study examined if the weight loss and metabolic benefits of alternate day fasting (ADF) varies according to sex and menopausal status in adults with obesity. METHODS AND
resultsThis secondary analysis pooled the data of men and women (n = 75) who participated in three 12-week ADF studies (500 kcal fast day; alternated with an ad libitum intake feast day). Body weight decreased in premenopausal women (-4.6 ± 3.2%), postmenopausal women (-6.5 ± 3.2%) and men (-6.2 ± 4.4%) (main effect of time, P < 0.001), with no difference between groups (no group × time interaction). Energy intake on fast days was higher than prescribed in all groups (∼400-500 excess kcal consumed), with no differences between groups. Fat mass, lean mass, fasting insulin, and insulin resistance, and blood pressure decreased similarly in all groups (main effect of time, P < 0.05 for all comparisons). LDL cholesterol decreased more in postmenopausal versus premenopausal women (group × time interaction, P = 0.01). Fasting glucose, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides remained unchanged in all groups.
conclusionThese findings suggest that the weight loss and metabolic benefits of ADF do not generally vary according to sex or menopausal status in adults with obesity.
trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov, NCT00960505; NCT03528317.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.