What this means
Primary sarcopenia, the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function during aging, is partly driven by anabolic resistance, a reduced ability of aged muscle to activate protein synthesis in response to nutrients and hormones. We compared 12-week time-restricted feeding (TRF) and alternate-day fasting (ADF) interventions initiated at 3, 12, 15, or 18 months of age in male C57BL/6J mice (analyzed at 6, 15, 18, or 21 months, respectively).
A plain-English summary is on its way. Until then, this is the start of the authors' own summary.
- Who it was tested in
- Not stated
- Kind of research
- A study
The science
- Original title
- Midlife time-restricted feeding preserves skeletal muscle insulin responsiveness and function during aging.
- Authors
- Ben-David R, Sarvin N, Carmeli E et al.
- Journal
- American journal of physiology. Cell physiology
- Published
- Oct 26, 2026
- Study type
- Study
- PMID
- 42932965 ↗
Abstract
Primary sarcopenia, the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function during aging, is partly driven by anabolic resistance, a reduced ability of aged muscle to activate protein synthesis in response to nutrients and hormones. We compared 12-week time-restricted feeding (TRF) and alternate-day fasting (ADF) interventions initiated at 3, 12, 15, or 18 months of age in male C57BL/6J mice (analyzed at 6, 15, 18, or 21 months, respectively). The effects of intermittent fasting on skeletal muscle were strongly age dependent. Midlife (15 months of age) TRF preserved lean mass, improved glucose tolerance, and increased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in isolated muscle, whereas ADF induced broader metabolic remodeling but was associated with lean-tissue loss when initiated later in life. Muscle aging was accompanied by reduced membrane abundance of insulin receptor-plakoglobin-dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC) signaling assembly. However, midlife TRF was associated with greater abundance of these protein modules and enhanced postprandial AKT signaling. These findings identify midlife as a responsive window for nutritional timing interventions and link improved muscle insulin responsiveness and maintenance with diet-associated differences in sarcolemmal protein abundance and organization, although targeted perturbation studies are required to establish causality.
Ben-David R, Sarvin N, Carmeli E et al. Midlife time-restricted feeding preserves skeletal muscle insulin responsiveness and function during aging. American journal of physiology. Cell physiology. 2026. doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00315.2026. PMID: 42932965. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42932965/
Related research
Short daily fasting extended lifespan in tiny worms
Worms fasted for part of each day lived longer than worms that did not fast. This work was in worms, so it does not show the same would happen in people.
Calorie restriction uncouples mutation rate from lifespan.
In this issue of Cell, Grońska-Pęski et al. examine how calorie restriction (CR) affects DNA mutation rates.
Three common treatments and their possible links to aging and heart health
This review summarizes earlier studies on metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors, and fasting, and suggests a plan for using them together. It notes that key trials for fasting and for metformin in people without diabetes are missing.
Circadian aging and neurodegeneration: the emerging role of the melatonin-cortisol axis in brain homeostasis, disease progression, and precision chronomedicine.
Circadian aging may promote neurodegenerative illnesses by dysregulating the melatonin-cortisol axis.
LSD extended lifespan in tiny worms in a lab study
Researchers gave LSD to microscopic worms and found they lived longer, by up to 17.6 percent. This is a worm study, so it does not show LSD would extend human life.
Taurine lowers inflammaging by regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages.
Whether a decline in taurine drives aging is debated, and despite high millimolar intracellular concentrations, its function as a potential guardian of cytosolic homeostasis is unclear.
See all research on Calorie restriction and fasting →