Time-restricted feeding drives periods of rapid food consumption in rats fed a high-fat diet with liquid sucrose

Abstract

Consumption of high-fat and -sugar foods drive excessive weight gain and contribute to the global obesity crisis. Time-restricted feeding (TRF) limits daily feeding to a specific time interval and has demonstrated great promise in preventing weight gain and restoring metabolic health, even when macronutrient diet composition is unaltered. However, the effectiveness of TRF with high-fat diet and liquid sucrose consumption, which disrupts eating patterns, has not been examined. In this study, juvenile male rats were fed either a high-fat, high liquid sugar (HFHS) diet or control chow ad libitum for 4 weeks; then, food access was restricted to 8 hours during the dark phase for another 4 weeks. Although TRF reduces triglyceride levels, it does not affect fat mass or body weight gain on a HFHS diet, contradicting previous restricted-access studies using high-fat or high solid-sucrose diets. Furthermore, TRF induces bouts of excessive HFHS solid food consumption, including a pre-withdrawal surge. Additionally, on control but not HFHS diets, TRF reduces hypothalamic gene expression for ghrelin and leptin receptors. TRF alters feeding behavior for both standard diets and HFHS diets with liquid calories, but only prevents further weight gain on standard diets. Our results emphasize curtailing high-fat foods and liquid sucrose to promote improved health outcomes and combat obesity. • Time-restricted feeding (TRF) modulates hypothalamic signals of energy homeostasis. • TRF does not reduce weight gain on a high-fat, high liquid sugar (HFHS) diet. • 8-h TRF in the active phase improves markers of metabolic health on a HFHS diet. • TRF promotes multiple periods of excessive food consumption on a palatable diet.