Metabolic changes of twenty weeks food-restriction schedule in rats.

In previous studies several metabolic and hormonal adaptations were detected as a consequence of food restriction schedule (single daily meal offered during two hours from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.) imposed for four weeks. During this period, the most prominent metabolic adaptations were: high alimentary efficiency, delayed gastric emptying, high hepatic glycogen concentration during the intermeal periods, glycemic maintenance during 22 hours of intermedal period as were low mobilization of free fatty acids. In the present work these metabolic adaptations were studied for twenty weeks. The results obtained show that the metabolic and hormonal pattern, defined during four weeks of training to such alimentary scheme, was maintained even after the 20th week. Moreover, it was clear that neither did the body weight increase rapidly nor did it reach that of free-fed rats, after adaptation phase, as reported by other authors.