Short-term fasting after high-caloric feeding boosts bone health in healthy individuals

A short-term nutrition challenge focused on fasting after high-caloric feeding appears to be beneficial, conferring benefits for bone mineral density (BMD), bone microarchitecture, and strength estimates of the distal tibia of healthy individuals, a study has shown.

A total of 23 healthy participants (mean age 33.2 years, 13 males, mean body mass index 26.0 kg/m²) underwent a 10-day controlled high-caloric visit (caloric intake with goal to achieve 7 percent weight gain) as inpatients. Afterwards, they returned home to resume a normal diet for 13–18 days (stabilization period) and were then readmitted for a 10-day in-patient fasting stay (no caloric intake).

Researchers performed high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HRpQCT) of the distal tibia and distal radius of the participants after each visit to quantify volumetric BMD (vBMD), trabecular and cortical microarchitecture, and strength estimates.

During the high-caloric period, weight increased by a mean of 6.3 percent (p<0.0001), whereas bone parameters in the distal tibia or distal radius remained relatively unchanged (p>0.05). During the stabilization period, weight dropped by a mean of 2.7 percent (p<0.0001), but bone parameters showed no marked changes (p>0.05).

The fasting period saw a further reduction in weight by a mean of 8.8 percent (p<0.0001). Moreover, there was a significant increase in total and cortical vBMD, trabecular and cortical parameters, as well as strength estimates in the distal tibia (p<0.05). The distal radius also showed an increase in total and trabecular vBMD (p<0.05), whereas other microarchitecture parameters or strengths estimates did not change considerably.

These present data indicate that short-term fasting after high-caloric feeding may improve bone health in healthy individuals, and that these changes can be measured using HRpQCT in vivo.