Six Weeks of Calorie Restriction Improves Body Composition and Lipid Profile in Obese and Overweight Former Athletes

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the impact of 6 weeks of reducing daily caloric intake by 20% of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)-CRI vs. reducing daily caloric intake by 30% of TDEE-CRII on body mass reduction and insulin metabolism in former athletes. Methods: 94 males aged 35.7 ± 5.3 years, height 180.5 ± 4.1 cm, and body mass 96.82 ± 6.2 kg were randomly assigned to the CRI (n = 49) or CRII (n = 45) group. Thirty-one participants (18 subjects from CRI and 13 from CRII) resigned from the study. The effects of both diets on the body composition variables (body mass—BM; body fat—BF; fat free mass—FFM; muscle mass—MM; total body water—TBW), lipid profile (total lipids—TL; total cholesterol—TCh; HDL cholesterol—HDL; LDL cholesterol—LDL; triglycerides—TG), and glucose control variables (glucose—GL, insulin—I, HOMA-IR, insulin-like growth factor-1—IGF-1, leptin and adiponectin) were measured. Results: After adhering to the CR I diet, significant differences were observed in FFM, MM and TG. After adhering to the CR II diet, significant differences were registered in tCh, TL and LDL. Both diets had a significant influence on leptin and adiponectin concentrations. Significant differences in FFM, MM, and tCh were observed between the CR I and CR II groups. At the end of the dietary intervention, significant differences in BF, FFM, MM and TBW were observed between the CR I and CR II groups. Conclusion: The 6 weeks of CR II diet appeared to be more effective in reducing BF and lipid profile and proved to be especially suitable for subjects with high body fat content and an elevated level of lipoproteins and cholesterol. Both reductive diets were effective in improving the levels of leptin and adiponectin in obese former athletes.

The Effects of Low-Energy Moderate-Carbohydrate (MCD) and Mixed (MixD) Diets on Serum Lipid Profiles and Body Composition in Middle-Aged Men: A Randomized Controlled Parallel-Group Clinical Trial

“…Excessive adipose tissue and lipoprotein disorders are substantial factors in the development of atherosclerosis, obesity, insulin resistance, and other diseases [5,6,[24][25][26]. In particular, elevated LDL-C, which is a strongly prominent factor in arteriosclerosis, will be oxidized, and this increases atherosclerotic changes in blood vessels [5,9,11].…”

“…In particular, elevated LDL-C, which is a strongly prominent factor in arteriosclerosis, will be oxidized, and this increases atherosclerotic changes in blood vessels [5,9,11]. In the past decade or two, numerous studies have been carried out on the impact of two diet models, low-calorie and low-carbohydrate diets, to reduce fat content and decrease the risk of dyslipidemia or insulin resistance in overweight and obese adults [3,6,9,11,18,19,24]. Many researchers have shown that low-carbohydrate diets have a positive effect on triglyceride levels [9,18,19,[25][26][27][28], adipose tissue [9], blood glucose, and CRP concentration [9,26].…”

“…In our earlier studies, the participants included well-motivated athletes determined to achieve better body mass and composition to improve their performance. Unfortunately, in ordinary people, such as our responders, who consume significant amounts of carbohydrates, especially snacks, fizzy drinks, and alcohol, strict carbohydrate reduction is very difficult [5,6]. They declare that both carbohydrate products and alcohol relax them, and they give them up reluctantly, despite their negative influence on health [5,6].…”

“…The dietary records were estimated by a nutritionist to assess previous feeding habits and daily caloric consumption. Before the experiment, all participants consumed a typical Western-style diet [5,6,19]. This type of diet is characterized by high intake of saturated fat, simple sugars, and salt.…”

“…Unhealthy adult lifestyles, especially improper dietary habits, are believed to play an important role in the development of contemporary-civilization diseases [1][2][3]. Numerous studies have investigated the association between diet and obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and many other diseases [3][4][5][6]. In the diet of modern Europe, the carbohydrate content ranges between 31.9% and 63.2% of all calories consumed, while the fat content ranges between 30% There is a lack of studies comparing the influence of a low-energy mixed diet and a low-energy moderate-carbohydrate diet on body mass, body fat, and blood biochemical parameters.…”