Publishing their findings in the journal Cell Metabolism, the researchers found that subjects who exercised for three months, fasted and ate unrestricted one day and alternated between eating 500 calories or fewer the next. They reported seeing an increase in insulin sensitivity and a decrease in liver fat and body weight. ALT, or alanine transaminase, which is a marker of liver disease.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the buildup of fat and inflammation in patients who drink little or no alcohol. Approximately 65% of obese adults suffer from this disease, and the condition is strongly linked to the development of insulin resistance. Diabetes: Fatty liver disease, if left unchecked, can lead to more serious complications like cirrhosis and liver failure, but there are excellent medications to treat the condition, and the options are limited.
Study author Krista Varady called the results "absolutely amazing." Faraday, a professor of nutrition at the University of Applied Sciences, said that when he compared the results of the study groups, he clearly found that the patients who improved the most were in the group. Those who only dieted or exercised did not see the same improvement, reinforcing the importance of these two relatively inexpensive lifestyle changes for overall health and combating chronic diseases such as obesity. Liver disease.
Clinical trial participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: an alternate-day fasting group, an aerobic exercise group, a joint group, and a control group, and participants were not given any changes in behavior. no. Five days a week, I do this. One hour exercises in the Faraday lab.
Although the study did not test whether alternate-day fasting was better or worse than other diets when combined with exercise, Varadi said she was surprised how few participants dropped out of the study.
It can also be difficult for people to stick to alternating fasting and exercise interventions, Faraday said, and previous studies have seen significant dropouts. He believes the results are very interesting, and that conducting the study at the beginning of the COVID 2020 -19 pandemic could be a reasonable explanation for the discrepancy.
In addition to seeing improvements in metabolic indicators, the study authors also note that there were no serious safety events during the study and patients were able to safely maintain their diet and exercise regimen during the three-month study. Faraday may be a good option for people with fatty liver disease who want to improve their health without medication with potential side effects.
In their paper, the authors write, “Effect of alternate-day fasting combined with aerobic exercise on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a randomized, controlled trial, effect of intermittent fasting combined with aerobic exercise on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease outcomes.” The combined interventions were also effective in increasing body weight, fat mass, waist circumference, ALT, fasting insulin, insulin resistance, and insulin sensitivity in obese patients and NAFLD patients compared to controls.