Effect of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet With or Without Exercise on Anxiety and Eating Behavior and Associated Changes in Cardiometabolic Health in Overweight Young Women.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to investigate the effects of a 4-week low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) with or without exercise on anxiety and eating behavior in overweight and obese women, and explore associations between psychological and physiological changes.
Results Summary
The study found that LCD with exercise (LC-EXE) significantly reduced anxiety levels compared to LCD alone (LC-CON), but no changes in eating behaviors were observed. Both LCD groups showed significant weight loss and improvements in metabolic markers, though exercise did not enhance these effects further.
Population
Overweight Chinese women (age: 20.8 ± 3.0 years, BMI: 25.3 ± 3.3 kg·m-2).
Effective Dosage
~50 g daily carbohydrate intake.
Duration
4 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) with exercise training | decrease | anxiety levels | overweight Chinese women | - | significant reductions | #1 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) with exercise training | increase | V̇O2peak | overweight Chinese women | ~15% | significant improvements | #2 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) with exercise training | decrease | anxiety | overweight Chinese women | ~25% | significant improvements | #3 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) without exercise training | decrease | weight | overweight Chinese women | ~3.0 kg or 4% | significant reduction | #4 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) without exercise training | decrease | insulin | overweight Chinese women | ~30% | decreases | #5 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) without exercise training | decrease | C-peptide | overweight Chinese women | ~20% | decreases | #6 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) without exercise training | decrease | leptin | overweight Chinese women | ~40% | decreases | #7 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) with exercise training | decrease | weight | overweight Chinese women | ~3.0 kg or 4% | significant reduction | #8 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) with exercise training | decrease | insulin | overweight Chinese women | ~30% | decreases | #9 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) with exercise training | decrease | C-peptide | overweight Chinese women | ~20% | decreases | #10 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) with exercise training | decrease | leptin | overweight Chinese women | ~40% | decreases | #11 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) with exercise training | no change | eating behaviors | overweight Chinese women | - | no statistical changes | #12 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) without exercise training | no change | eating behaviors | overweight Chinese women | - | no statistical changes | #13 |
control group (habitual diet and physical activity) | no change | eating behaviors | overweight Chinese women | - | no statistical changes | #14 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) without exercise training | no change | anxiety | overweight Chinese women | - | no statistical differences | #15 |
control group (habitual diet and physical activity) | no change | anxiety | overweight Chinese women | - | no statistical differences | #16 |
low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) with exercise training | decrease | levels of anxiety and V̇O2peak | all participates | r = -0.32 | negative association | #17 |
BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) on weight loss and exercise for improving cardiometabolic fitness have been well documented in the literature, but the effects of LCDs and whether adding exercise to a LCD regime could additionally benefit mental health (e. g., by lowering the level of anxiety) and associated changes in eating behavior are less clear in overweight and obese populations. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of a 4-week LCD with or without exercise on anxiety and eating behavior, and to explore the associations between changes in the psychological state and physiological parameters (i.e., body composition, aerobic fitness, blood pressure, lipid profile, and metabolic hormones). METHODS: Seventy-four overweight Chinese women [age: 20.8 ± 3.0 years, body mass index (BMI): 25.3 ± 3.3 kg·m-2] completed the 4-week randomized controlled trial, which included a LCD group (i.e., ~50 g daily carbohydrate intake) with exercise training 5 days/week (LC-EXE, n = 26), a LCD group without exercise training (LC-CON, n = 25) and a control group that did not modify their habitual diets and physical activity (CON, n = 23). Levels of anxiety, eating behavior scores and physiological parameters (i.e., body weight, V̇O2peak, blood pressure, fasting glucose, blood lipids, and serum metabolic hormones including insulin, C-peptide, leptin, and ghrelin) were measured before and after the intervention. RESULTS: There were significant reductions in anxiety levels in the LC-EXE compared with the LC-CON group, while no statistical changes were found in eating behaviors in any conditions after the 4-week intervention. Significant reduction in weight (~3.0 kg or 4%, p < 0.01) and decreases in insulin (~30% p < 0.01), C-peptide (~20% p < 0.01), and leptin (~40%, p < 0.01) were found in both LC-CON and LC-EXE groups, but adding exercise to a LCD regime generated no additional effects. There were significant improvements in V̇O2peak (~15% p < 0.01) and anxiety (~25% p < 0.01) in the LC-EXE compared with the LC-CON group, while no statistical differences were found between CON and LC-CON treatments. Further analysis revealed a negative association (r = -0.32, p < 0.01) between changes in levels of anxiety and changes in V̇O2peak in all participates, no other correlations were found between changes in psychological and physiological parameters. CONCLUSION: Although the combination of a LCD and exercise may not induce additional reductions in body weight in overweight young females, exercise could be a useful add-on treatment along with a LCD to improve cardiometabolic health and lower anxiety levels.