Impact of Eating Duration on Weight Management, Sleeping Quality, and Psychological Stress: A Pilot Study.

Abstract

Background: The daily eating window significantly impacts weight and metabolic health, yet its ideal duration remains uncertain.

Methods: Thirty-four healthy middle-aged women were randomly assigned to two intervention groups: 8-hour time-restricted eating (TRE) and 14-hour time-extended eating (EXE). Each intervention lasted 4 weeks, with a 16-day washout period before switching to the other intervention. Clinical biomarkers were collected before and after each intervention, and sleep quality was assessed using the Korean Version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-K). Additionally, a daily visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate psychological changes.

Results: The TRE group experienced significant weight reduction, lower fasting plasma glucose and total serum cholesterol levels compared to the EXE group, but with an increase in systolic blood pressure. The EXE group showed improved blood pressure. The TRE group reported higher stress levels on the VAS, but the PSQI-K indicated improved sleep quality during the second intervention.

Conclusions: An 8-hour TRE, without calorie restriction or diet composition changes, proves more beneficial for weight management and plasma glucose control compared to the 14-hour EXE among Korean women. Implementation of this approach is recommended to be gradual to mitigate psychological fluctuations and adverse blood pressure changes.