The Claim
Short-term alternate-day fasting (62.5% energy intake on fasting days, 100% on feeding days) for 10 days has no effect on skeletal muscle protein synthesis rates compared to continuous energy restriction (62.5% daily) or an energy-balanced control diet (100% daily) in middle-aged overweight men when protein intake is matched across groups.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
In middle-aged overweight men, eating fewer calories every other day for 10 days does not change the rate of skeletal muscle protein synthesis compared to eating the same reduced amount every day or eating normally, as long as protein intake is kept the same in all diets.
See the scientific wording
Short-term alternate-day fasting (62.5% energy intake on fasting days, 100% on feeding days) for 10 days does not reduce skeletal muscle protein synthesis rates compared to continuous energy restriction (62.5% daily) or an energy-balanced control diet (100% daily) in middle-aged overweight men, when protein intake is matched across groups.
When protein intake stays the same, the body keeps delivering amino acids to muscle cells, which keeps the molecular switch for building muscle proteins turned on, even when total calories are reduced.
What the research says
1 studyIn middle-aged overweight men, eating every other day with very low calories didn’t make their muscles build protein any slower than eating fewer calories every day or eating normally—as long as they ate the same amount of protein in all cases.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.