The Effect of Time-Restricted Feeding on Postural Balance: From a Vestibular Perspective

Abstract

Introduction: The aims of the present study were to evaluate postural balance performance of the subjects on the time-restricted feeding (TRF) and reveal the effect of TRF on the vestibular system by comparing the results to those of traditional daily dietary (DD) condition. Methods: Sixteen adults (3 males, 13 females; mean age: 25.4 ± 4 years) who had experienced at least 1 month of TRF were included in the study. The Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and Head-Shake SOT (HS-SOT) – which evaluate proprioceptive, visual, and vestibular systems – were performed on TRF and DD conditions via the Computerized Dynamic Posturography system. Results: Significant differences were obtained between TRF and DD situations in SOT-5 (p = 0.008), SOT-6 (p = 0.01), and HS-SOT5 (p = 0.007) conditions in which the vestibular system dominated. Conclusion: We revealed that TRF has an effect on postural balance in the absence of proprioceptive and visual systems. This feeding model is a negative stressor that has a substantial effect on the vestibular system, but this impact is minimal once the proprioceptive and visual systems are intact. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first study to evaluate postural balance utilizing vestibular parameters in TRF.