The Effect of Time-Restricted Eating in 24-hour Metabolic Homeostasis and Diurnal Rhythm (Rhythm)

September 9, 2026 updated by: Maria Chondronikola, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Time-restricted eating (TRE) is a dietary manipulation that involves restricting food intake to 6-12 h/day with no food intake during the rest of the day. In animals, TRE improves metabolic function without caloric restriction. However, an understanding of the effect of TRE on cardiometabolic health in people is not clear and few studies have evaluated this issue. This study is a randomized controlled trial in people with obesity and prediabetes/insulin resistance. The overall goal of the study is to determine the effect of 9 h TRE for 12 weeks on key metabolic outcomes that are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD): The goal of this study is to answer the following questions: 1) 24-hour metabolic homeostasis 2) 24h diurnal rhythm and appetite regulation.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
26

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study
  • aged 35-75 years
  • men and women
  • body mass index 27-45 kg/m2
  • fasting plasma glucose 5.6-6.9 mmol/L, or 2h OGTT plasma glucose 7.8-11.1 mmol/L or haemoglobin A1C 39-46 mmol/mol, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) score ≥2.73
  • self-reported habitual eating period ≥ 13 h per day

Exclusion Criteria:

  • shift worker
  • fasting >12 h/day more than once a week
  • vegan
  • > once a week no food intake after ~1800 h
  • habitually waking up before ~0400 h and sleeping before ~2100 h
  • unstable weight (>5% change the last 2 months)
  • type 1 or 2 diabetes
  • sleep disorder (individuals with well-controlled sleep apnoea)
  • eating disorder
  • cancer in last 5 years
  • conditions that render subject unable to complete all testing procedures (including individuals with known allergies or contraindications to the medications used in this study)
  • use of medications that affect the study outcome measures or increase the risk of study procedures and that cannot be temporarily discontinued (e.g., steroids, alpha- or beta-adrenergic blockers or agonists, etc.)
  • smoking and illegal drug use
  • pregnant or lactating
  • gastrointestinal or bariatric surgery (except cholecystectomy and appendectomy)
  • unable to grant voluntary informed consent or comply with the study instructions
  • individuals with electromedical devices
  • prisoners
  • alcohol abuse

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: TRE Group
Participants assigned to the TRE group will have to consume all their daily meals and snacks during a 9-hour window for 12 weeks.
Behavioral: Time restricted eating
Participants assigned to the TRE group will have to consume all their daily meals and snacks during a 9-hour window for 12 weeks.
Behavioral: Healthy Eating
Participants will be provided nutrition education and counselling to follow a diet consistent with the existing guidelines for chronic disease prevention.
Active Comparator: Control Group
Participants assigned to the control group will have to consume all their daily meals and snacks during a 14-hour window for 12 weeks.
Behavioral: Healthy diet
Participants will be provided nutrition education and counselling to follow a diet consistent with the existing guidelines for chronic disease prevention.
Behavioral: Extended eating window
Participants assigned to the control group will have to consume all their daily meals and snacks during a 14-hour window for 12 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Blood glucose concentration using a YSI analyzer
Time Frame: 3 months (pre-post intervention)
Changes in 24-h area under the curve for blood glucose concentration will be assessed during a 24h metabolic test day.
3 months (pre-post intervention)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Serum insulin concentration using a chemiluminescent assay
Time Frame: 3 months (pre-post intervention)
Changes in s24-h area under the curve for serum insulin concentration will be assessed during a 24h metabolic test day.
3 months (pre-post intervention)
Serum C-peptide concentration using an ELISA assay
Time Frame: 3 months (pre-post intervention)
Changes in 24-h area under the curve for serum C-peptide concentration will be assessed during a 24h metabolic test day.
3 months (pre-post intervention)
Plasma FFA concentration using a colorimetric assay
Time Frame: 3 months (pre-post intervention)
Changes in plasma 24-h area under the curve for plasma FFA concentration will be assessed during a 24h metabolic test day.
3 months (pre-post intervention)
Plasma TG concentration using a colorimetric assay
Time Frame: 3 months (pre-post intervention)
Changes in 24-h area under the curve for plasma TG concentration will be assessed during a 24h metabolic test day.
3 months (pre-post intervention)
Serum GLP1 concentration using a V-plex assay
Time Frame: 3 months (pre-post intervention)
Changes in 24-h area under the curve for serum GLP1 concentration will be assessed during a 24h metabolic test day.
3 months (pre-post intervention)
Serum GIP concentration using a V-plex assay
Time Frame: 3 months (pre-post intervention)
Changes in 24-h area under the curve for serum GIP concentration will be assessed during a 24h metabolic test day.
3 months (pre-post intervention)
Hunger sensation using a standardised questionnaire (visual analog scale)
Time Frame: 3 months (pre-post intervention)
Changes in subjective evaluations hunger during a 24h metabolic test day using standardised visual analog scales of hunger satiety
3 months (pre-post intervention)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 1, 2031

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 30, 2031

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 7, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 15, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 15, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 9, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 356999

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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