PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY OF INSULIN-REGULATED ENERGY HOMEOSTASIS DURING INTERMITTENT FASTING
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Keywords
Intermittent fasting; Insulin sensitivity; Energy homeostasis; Metabolic adaptation; Lipid metabolism
Abstract
Insulin is a crucial part of the energy balance regulation, because it coordinates the use of glucose with the lipid metabolism and hormonal signals. Intermittent fasting has become a dietary intervention, which could potentially affect these metabolic pathways by changing the timing of the intake of nutrients instead of the amount of calories intake. Nevertheless, there is a need to understand the physiological and biochemical processes by which intermittent fasting influences insulin-regulated energy homeostasis, further.
Methodology: The study was a comparative analytical study that was undertaken between January 2024 and January 2025 and involved 72 participants who were adults at the time of undertaking the study at Muhammad College of Medicine, Peshawar. The subjects were split into intermittent fasting group and control group of 36 individuals respectively. The fasting group adhered to the diet that was restricted in time, whereas the controls carried on with their normal eating habits. Measurements of anthropometric, fasting glucose, insulin, lipid profile, hormonal, and inflammatory parameters were measured. The HOMA-IR index was used to estimate the insulin resistance. Appropriate statistical tests were used, with the value of significance being p-value 0.05.
Results: The intermittent fasting participants showed a large reduction in fasting glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR values as compared to the controls. Positive outcomes were also noted in the lipid parameters such as decreased triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol and elevated HDL-cholesterol. The levels of ketone bodies were more in the fasting group showing an improvement in fat utilization. Adaptations related to hormone levels were reduced leptin, increased adiponectin, and reduced inflammatory levels, whereas adverse outcomes were minimal and not different between groups.
Conclusion: Intermittent fasting was associated with improved insulin sensitivity and favorable metabolic adaptations related to energy homeostasis. The findings suggest that altering meal timing may positively influence glucose regulation, lipid metabolism, and hormonal balance. Intermittent fasting appears to be a feasible and metabolically beneficial approach for improving insulin-regulated energy balance in adults.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Asma Aziz
Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Saidu Medical College, Swat, Pakistan
Sarah Saad
Senior Demonstrator, Department of Physiology, CMH Lahore Medical College & Institute of Dentistry, Lahore, Pakistan
Ambar Shuaib
Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Pak International Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan
Rabia Akhtar Cheema
Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Independent Medical College, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Mohammad Iqbal
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Muhammad College Of Medicine, Peshawar, Pakistan
Abdul Rahman Abid
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Independent Medical College, Faisalabad, Pakistan
