Effects of Protein Supplementation on 4 Weeks of Alternate-day Fasting on Fasting Blood Glucose, Resting Blood Pressure, and Body Composition in Young Men

The objectives of this study are to examine the effects of protein supplementation on 4 weeks of alternate-day fasting (ADF) on fasting blood glucose, resting blood pressure, and body composition in young Asian men with unhealthy body mass index ≥ 23 kg/m2. To achieve the objective, 40 young men aged 21 to 35 years old will be recruited to participate in this study and complete a 4-week ADF programme. The fasting programme starts at 12 midnight and alternates between fasting and feeding days. Each fasting or feeding day is 24-hour in duration. On fasting days, no food and beverages are allowed except for ad libitum intake of plain water and/or other zero-calorie beverages, and a small meal between 400-600 kcal. In this study, participants would be randomly assigned to either the control or protein supplementation group (20 in each group). The control group will consume a small meal of their choice as long as it is between 400-600 kcal while the protein supplementation group will consume a small meal between 400-600 kcal that will include a protein supplement that would be provided (125 kcal, 25 g protein) and with the remainder of the meal of their choice. For both groups in this study, the small meal is to be consumed during 12 pm to 2 pm for standardisation to ensure consistency in total duration of fasting and feeding. The programme will end after 4 weeks (28 days) of continuous alternate-day fasting. Fasting blood glucose, resting blood pressure and heart rate, body mass, height, and body composition will be measured before and after 4-week of ADF. In addition, these measurements, except body composition, will be repeated at the end of each week of ADF. The research hypothesis are: 1) 4 weeks of ADF will reduce body mass via both fat and muscle loss, and improve health indices as measured by fasting blood glucose and resting blood pressure in young individuals with BMI greater than the desired healthy range, and 2) protein supplementation during fasting days will reduce muscle loss during loss of body mass.