S L Berga1, T L Loucks, J L Cameron. 1. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. sberga@mail.magee.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether fasting in women would suppress GnRH/LH drive in a high- versus low-gonadal steroid milieu. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Academic clinical research center. PATIENT(S): Eleven eumenorrheic women and eleven women taking combined oral contraceptives. INTERVENTION(S): Seven of the eleven women in each group underwent an acute 72-hour fast. Blood samples were obtained at 15-minute intervals for 24 hours before the fast and during the last 24 hours of fasting. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Twenty-four-hour profiles of LH, cortisol, and melatonin were assessed. Ovarian activity was tracked with estradiol and progesterone levels, and metabolic responses were gauged by measuring thyroid hormone and beta-hydroxy-butyric acid levels. RESULT(S): Fasting increased beta-hydroxy-butyric acid and reduced free thyronine. Fasting in the midfollicular phase had no effect on LH pulsatility or on FSH, estradiol, or subsequent luteal-phase progesterone levels. However, fasting elevated cortisol and resulted in a phase advance in melatonin secretion of 81 minutes in both the midfollicular and luteal phases. CONCLUSION(S): Fasting in women elicited expected metabolic responses and apparently advanced the central circadian clock without compromising reproductive function.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether fasting in women would suppress GnRH/LH drive in a high- versus low-gonadal steroid milieu. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Academic clinical research center. PATIENT(S): Eleven eumenorrheic women and eleven women taking combined oral contraceptives. INTERVENTION(S): Seven of the eleven women in each group underwent an acute 72-hour fast. Blood samples were obtained at 15-minute intervals for 24 hours before the fast and during the last 24 hours of fasting. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Twenty-four-hour profiles of LH, cortisol, and melatonin were assessed. Ovarian activity was tracked with estradiol and progesterone levels, and metabolic responses were gauged by measuring thyroid hormone and beta-hydroxy-butyric acid levels. RESULT(S): Fasting increased beta-hydroxy-butyric acid and reduced free thyronine. Fasting in the midfollicular phase had no effect on LH pulsatility or on FSH, estradiol, or subsequent luteal-phase progesterone levels. However, fasting elevated cortisol and resulted in a phase advance in melatonin secretion of 81 minutes in both the midfollicular and luteal phases. CONCLUSION(S): Fasting in women elicited expected metabolic responses and apparently advanced the central circadian clock without compromising reproductive function.
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