Effects of low-carbohydrate time-restricted eating, with or without sprint interval training, on resting cardiac biomarkers in young adults: a sex-stratified randomized controlled trial

Zhou, Y, Lei, OK, Shi, X, Zhang, H, George, K ORCID: 0000-0002-5119-6651, Nie, J, Shi, Q and Kong, Z ORCID: 0009-0007-5453-7881 (2025) Effects of low-carbohydrate time-restricted eating, with or without sprint interval training, on resting cardiac biomarkers in young adults: a sex-stratified randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Applied Physiology. ISSN 1439-6319

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Abstract

Purpose
Low-carbohydrate time-restricted eating (LCTR) and sprint interval training (SIT) independently improve cardiometabolic health, but their combined effects on cardiac-specific biomarkers remain unknown. We investigated whether LCTR, with or without SIT, affects N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) concentrations in young adults.

Methods
Sixty-one young adults (31 males, 30 females) were randomized to a 4-week program of LCTR alone or LCTR + SIT. All participants consumed ≤ 10% of energy from carbohydrates within an 8-hour daily window. LCTR + SIT groups additionally performed 5 weekly sessions of 10 × 6-second sprints with 9-second recovery periods. Body composition, V̇O₂max, and NT-proBNP and cTnT were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Data were analyzed using three-way mixed ANOVA with intervention (LCTR vs. LCTR + SIT) and sex as between-subjects factors, and time as within-subjects factor.

Results
Body fat decreased across all groups (range -1.2 to -2.6 kg, P < 0.05), with no significant between-group differences. Significant intervention × time interaction was observed for V̇O₂max (P = 0.003), whereas NT-proBNP showed a significant intervention × sex × time interaction (P = 0.016). Post-hoc analyses revealed that only females in the LCTR + SIT group demonstrated a significant improvement in V̇O2max (+ 17.1%, P = 0.014) and a reduction in NT-proBNP (-48%, P = 0.0005). Resting cTnT levels did not change in any group, with most values at or below detection limits.

Conclusion
Brief LCTR, with or without SIT, reduced body fat in both sexes. Only females in the LCTR + SIT group demonstrated reduced resting NT-proBNP. Reasons for, and implications of, this rapid and sex-mediated adaptation in NT-proBNP are worthy of further study.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences; Sport Sciences; 3202 Clinical sciences; 3208 Medical physiology; 4207 Sports science and exercise
Subjects:	T Technology > TX Home economics > TX341 Nutrition. Foods and food supply R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1200 Sports Medicine
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences Vice-Chancellor's Office
Publisher:	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date of acceptance:	30 November 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	19 December 2025
Date Deposited:	19 Dec 2025 15:26
Last Modified:	19 Dec 2025 15:26
DOI or ID number:	10.1007/s00421-025-06092-7
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/27750

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