Intermittent fasting associated with aerobic exercise improves oxidative parameters and causes muscle damage without compromising the performance of Wistar rats

Victor Augusto Mathias Dorand; Naís Lira Soares; Artur D' Angelo da Silva Andrade; Mateus Duarte Ribeiro; Eder Jackson Bezerra de Almeida Filho; Manoel Miranda Neto; Kamila Sabino Batista; Guilherme Costa de Oliveira; Adriano Francisco Alves; Maria Carolina de Paiva Sousa; Alexandre Sergio Silva; Jailane de Souza Aquino

doi:10.1016/j.nut.2023.112159

Intermittent fasting associated with aerobic exercise improves oxidative parameters and causes muscle damage without compromising the performance of Wistar rats

Nutrition. 2023 Nov:115:112159. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2023.112159. Epub 2023 Jul 13.

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Experimental Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Paraíba, UFPB, João Pessoa-PB, Brazil; Post Graduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.
² Laboratory of Experimental Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Paraíba, UFPB, João Pessoa-PB, Brazil.
³ Laboratory of Applied Studies in Physical Training to Performance and Health - LETFADS, Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil; Associate Graduate Program in Physical Education - UPE/UFPB, Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil.
⁴ Laboratory of Applied Studies in Physical Training to Performance and Health - LETFADS, Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Nutrition at the Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil.
⁶ Laboratory of General pathology, Department of Physiology and Pathology, Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.
⁷ Post Graduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil; Laboratory of Applied Studies in Physical Training to Performance and Health - LETFADS, Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil; Associate Graduate Program in Physical Education - UPE/UFPB, Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil.
⁸ Laboratory of Experimental Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Paraíba, UFPB, João Pessoa-PB, Brazil; Post Graduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil; Department of Nutrition at the Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil. Electronic address: jailane.aquino@academico.ufpb.br.

PMID: 37549455
DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2023.112159

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to` investigate the effects of intermittent fasting (IF) and the possible association with aerobic exercise on performance, oxidative, biochemical, and somatic parameters of Wistar rats.

Methods: Forty rats were randomized into the following groups: sedentary (SC) and trained (TC) controls, sedentary intermittent fasting (SIF), and trained intermittent fasting (TIF). The rats were subjected to IF for 15 h every day and aerobic exercise lasting 30 min, five times a week, at a speed of 15 m/min for 4 wk. Performance tests were performed at the beginning and end of the protocol. Glucose and insulin tolerance, somatic parameters, lipidogram, leptin, insulin, malondialdehyde, antioxidant capacity, C-reactive protein, alpha acid glycoprotein, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and muscle histology were analyzed.

Results: The trained groups had similar performance and significantly improved performance at the end of the experiment. TIF showed lower body weight (-16 g), lean mass (22.49%), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (29%), and lactate dehydrogenase (48%), and higher malondialdehyde (53%) and antioxidant capacity (75%) than the TC group. The SIF and TIF groups showed a fiber area reduction and positivity marking for tumor necrosis factor-α in the muscles.

Conclusion: Although IF associated with aerobic exercise improved antioxidant capacity caused damage to muscle fibers and lean mass loss, it did not change the performance of the rats.

Keywords: Antioxidant capacity; Inflammatory markers; Insulin; Muscle fiber; Time-restricted feeding.