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Not yet recruitingNCT07695961Updated Jul 13, 2026

Early Time-Restricted Eating Combined With Exercise in Older Adults

An interventional study of Early Time-Restricted Eating (eTRE)+Exercise Intervention in Nutrition, Health and Wellbeing and Aging, sponsored by University of Manouba. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Tunisia. Open to participants aged 60 Years to 85 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-13.

Sponsored by University of Manouba · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
44
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
60 Years to 85 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effects of Early Time-Restricted Eating (eTRE) combined with a multicomponent exercise program on bone health, physical function, and fall risk in healthy older adults.

A total of approximately 44 healthy adults aged 60 years and older will be recruited and randomly assigned to one of two groups. The experimental group will follow an Early Time-Restricted Eating schedule combined with a structured multicomponent exercise program. The control group will not receive any dietary timing intervention or structured exercise program and will continue their usual daily lifestyle.

The intervention will last for 6 months. Participants in the exercise program will perform supervised sessions including resistance training, balance exercises, aerobic activity, and flexibility exercises. The Early Time-Restricted Eating protocol will involve consuming all daily food intake within an early daytime window while maintaining usual dietary quality and adequate energy and nutrient intake.

The main outcomes of the study include changes in bone mineral density, gait performance, balance, and fall risk. These outcomes will be measured at baseline and after the intervention period.

This study will provide evidence on whether combining early time-restricted eating with structured exercise can improve musculoskeletal health and functional ability, and reduce fall risk in older adults.

Read the detailed description

This randomized controlled trial is designed to evaluate the effects of Early Time-Restricted Eating (eTRE) combined with a multicomponent exercise program on bone mineral density, physical function, and fall risk in healthy older adults.

Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either an experimental group or a control group. The intervention will last for 6 months. The experimental group will follow an Early Time-Restricted Eating protocol, consisting of an 8-hour daily eating window (e.g., 07:00-15:00) followed by a 16-hour fasting period, in combination with a supervised multicomponent exercise program performed three times per week.

Each exercise session will last approximately 60 minutes and will include resistance training, balance exercises, aerobic activities, and flexibility exercises. Exercise sessions will be scheduled within the eating window to optimize energy availability and recovery. Dietary intake will be monitored to ensure adequate energy and protein consumption.

The control group will maintain their usual lifestyle without any structured dietary timing or exercise intervention.

Assessments will be conducted at baseline and after the intervention period. Data will be analyzed using repeated measures analysis to evaluate the effects of time, group, and their interaction on study outcomes.

02

Conditions studied

  • Nutrition
  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Aging
  • Time Restricted Eating
  • Bone Health

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Keywords

  • Time Restricted Eating
  • Exercise Program
  • Bone Mineral Density
  • Gait
  • Balance
03

In context

Intermittent Fasting

333 studies on the registry are indexed under Intermittent Fasting; 99 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 44 is below the median of 50 across 320 interventional studies indexed under Intermittent Fasting.

Browse Intermittent Fasting studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Manouba is the lead sponsor of 4 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
60 Years to 85 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged 60 years or older
  • Community-dwelling and generally healthy older adults
  • Sedentary or moderately physically active
  • Stable body weight during the previous 3 months (no intentional weight loss or gain >5%)
  • Able to participate in a supervised exercise program
  • Willing to comply with the time-restricted eating protocol and study procedures
  • Able to provide written

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of osteoporosis requiring pharmacological treatment
  • Severe sarcopenia or major mobility limitations preventing safe exercise participation
  • Cognitive impairment or diagnosed dementia affecting ability to follow instructions
  • Presence of uncontrolled chronic diseases affecting bone metabolism (e.g., advanced renal disease, uncontrolled endocrine disorders)
  • Current use of medications affecting bone metabolism (e.g., , anti-osteoporotic drugs)
  • Participation in another structured exercise or dietary intervention program within the past 3 months
  • Any medical condition that contraindicates moderate-intensity exercise
  • Inability to comply with study protocol or follow-up assessments
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

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You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

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05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
44 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Early Time-Restricted Eating (eTRE)+Exercise Intervention Group

    Participants in the experimental group will follow a 16:8 Early Time-Restricted Eating protocol combined with a supervised multicomponent exercise program for 6 months. The exercise program includes resistance, aerobic, balance, and flexibility training, while the eating window is restricted to 8 hours per day with adequate energy and protein intake maintained.

    Behavioral: Early Time-Restricted Eating (eTRE)+Exercise Intervention

  • No intervention
    Control

    Participants in the control group will not receive any structured exercise program or dietary timing intervention and will be instructed to maintain their habitual diet and physical activity throughout the study period.

Interventions

  • BehavioralEarly Time-Restricted Eating (eTRE)+Exercise Intervention

    Participants will follow an Early Time-Restricted Eating protocol consisting of a 16:8 fasting-feeding schedule. All daily caloric intake will be consumed within an 8-hour window (e.g., 07:00-15:00), followed by a 16-hour fasting period. Participants will be instructed to maintain adequate energy intake and consume at least 1.2 g/kg/day of protein, distributed across meals within the eating window. Water intake will be allowed ad libitum during fasting hours. A supervised multicomponent exercise program including resistance, aerobic, balance, and flexibility training. Sessions will be performed three times per week for 6 months. Resistance training will be performed at 60-80% of one-repetition maximum, aerobic training at moderate intensity (50-70% of maximum heart rate), and balance and flexibility exercises will be included in each session to improve functional capacity in older adults.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Bone Mineral Density (BMD)

    Bone mineral density (BMD) will be assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at baseline and after the 6-month intervention period. BMD measurements will be used to evaluate changes in bone health in response to the intervention in older adults.

    Time frame: Baseline and 6 months (pre-intervention and post-intervention)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Gait performance

    Gait performance will be assessed using a standardized 4-meter gait speed test at baseline and after the 6-month intervention period. Participants will be instructed to walk at their usual pace, and gait speed will be used as an indicator of functional mobility and physical performance in older adults.

    Time frame: Baseline and 6 months (pre-intervention and post-intervention)

  2. Balance

    Balance will be assessed using the Berg Balance Scale or a one-leg stance test at baseline and after the 6-month intervention period. These tests will evaluate static and dynamic balance ability in older adults and will be used to determine changes in postural stability following the intervention.

    Time frame: Baseline and 6 months (pre-intervention and post-intervention)

  3. Fall Risk

    Fall risk will be assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test at baseline and after the 6-month intervention period. The TUG test measures the time required to stand up from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn, return, and sit down, and is used as an indicator of functional mobility and fall risk in older adults.

    Time frame: Baseline and 6 months (pre-intervention and post-intervention)

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Manouba University
    Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — There is no plan to share individual participant data. Only aggregate study results will be reported in publications and presentations.

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 13, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07695961
Lead sponsor
University of Manouba
Collaborators
Faculty of Medicine, Sousse
Responsible party
Maha Gasmi (Researcher, University of Manouba) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jul 10, 2026
Start date
Jun 15, 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Dec 30, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 30, 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 13, 2026

Study contacts

Maha Gasmi, PhD
Contact
mahagasmi@hotmail.fr
+21699040701
Kawther Missawi, PhD
Contact
kawther.missawi@hotmail.fr
+21697323721

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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