As people age, both exercise capacity and glucose tolerance decrease, playing a role in the development of many chronic diseases.  Calorie restriction has been shown to attenuate the development of these declines; however, it is not recommended for the aging population due to its other adverse events. Are there other interventions that keep some benefits obtained from calorie restriction to promote healthy aging without the drawbacks? 

Time-restricted eating is a dietary intervention that alters the timing of eating without changing the types of foods a person eats. It requires eating daily within a limited window, usually 8 to 12 hours per day, that often begins in the morning and ends in the afternoon. Previous research in both animals and humans have demonstrated that time-restricted eating can mimic some of the benefits of longer duration fasting and calorie restriction. 

Earlier this year, researchers tested a time-restricted eating regimen in healthy older adults. They found that the six-week intervention produced slight, but noticeable improvements in exercise capacity and glucose tolerance. The results from the present study suggest that time-restricted eating could reduce health issues that come with age.

Time-restricted eating also reduced participants' hunger. Most diets, on the other hand, result in increased and prolonged feelings of hunger.

These results demonstrate time-restricted eating to be a safe and feasible intervention that may reduce the development of chronic problems as people age. This pilot investigation lays the foundation for future long-term dietary studies examining time-restricted eating in older adults with and without chronic diseases.