Intermittent fasting encompasses a range of dietary strategies characterised by alternating periods of food intake with prolonged periods of fasting. Although humans have been exposed to cycles of food abundance and scarcity throughout much of their evolutionary history, scientific interest in the physiological effects of intermittent fasting has grown exponentially over the past two decades. Studies conducted in animal models and, more recently, in humans suggest that periods of fasting may trigger a wide variety of metabolic and cellular responses with potential implications for health. However, many of the adaptations induced by these interventions, as well as their long-term effects and the physiological mechanisms that explain them, remain insufficiently understood. This has driven intense research activity aimed at deciphering how the timing of food intake may influence metabolism, body composition, and the risk of chronic diseases.
What do we research?
Our work focuses on the study of the acute responses and adaptations induced by intermittent fasting, as well as the effects of its combination with other stressors, such as physical exercise, with the ultimate goal of generating a sufficient body of knowledge to optimise the prescription of intermittent fasting for patients who wish or need to undertake it. Likewise, we investigate new potential fields of application for this type of dietary strategy (e.g., in adolescents), as well as new potential therapeutic uses (e.g., for weight-loss maintenance).
Featured active studies
- TREPO 1: Analysis of the Physiological Response to Fasting in Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity, Compared with Adults, and Following a Time-Restricted Eating Intervention.
- IMS: Effect of a Single Session of Physical Exercise During a 24- to 34-Hour Fast on Energy Metabolism and Cognitive Function in Healthy Adults: A Pilot Study.
- REGANE: Time-Restricted Food Intake as a Potential Strategy to Promote Weight Maintenance in Patients with Obesity.
Relevant recent publications
- Dote-Montero M, Sanchez-Delgado G, Ravussin E. Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Cardiometabolic Health: An Energy Metabolism Perspective. Nutrients. 2022 Jan 23;14(3):489. doi: 10.3390/nu14030489.
- Dote-Montero M, Clavero-Jimeno A, Merchán-Ramírez E, Oses M, Echarte J, Camacho-Cardenosa A, Concepción M, Amaro-Gahete FJ, Alcántara JMA, López-Vázquez A, Cupeiro R, Migueles JH, De-la-O A, García Pérez PV, Contreras-Bolivar V, Muñoz-Garach A, Zugasti A, Petrina E, Alvarez de Eulate N, Goñi E, Armendariz-Brugos C, González Cejudo MT, Martín-Rodríguez JL, Idoate F, Cabeza R, Carneiro-Barrera A, de Cabo R, Muñoz-Torres M, Labayen I, Ruiz JR. Effects of early, late and self-selected time-restricted eating on visceral adipose tissue and cardiometabolic health in participants with overweight or obesity: a randomized controlled trial. Nat Med. 2025 Feb;31(2):524-533. doi: 10.1038/s41591-024-03375-y.