title: Beneficial physiological and performance responses to a month of restricted energy intake in healthy overweight women.
abstract: Changes in mood, performance, cortisol, and physiological variables with a month-long energy restricting diet (3.347 MJ/day) were studied in nine overweight (mean mass 71.2 +/- 8 kg; body mass index 26.1 +/- 2.8 kg/m(2)), healthy premenopausal (age 20-36 years) women. Measurements were taken in the 2 weeks before the diet (baseline) and again in the final 2 weeks of the diet to attenuate menstrual cycle differences. A reduction in energy intake and concomitant weight loss (5.80 +/- 1.65 kg) were accompanied by a significant decline in systolic blood pressure (5.4%), heart rate (7.6%), and cortisol concentration (13.6%). Fatigue and vigour on the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire were adversely affected; however, subjective assessments of mood, concentration, temperature sensitivity, appetite, and sleep quality using visual analogue scales, were not significantly altered during the month-long period of energy restriction. Motor performance, as assessed by hand-eye coordination, improved with both a reduction in mean reaction time and improved accuracy in response to visual stimuli. The very low-energy diet appeared to be neither physiologically nor psychologically stressful. Beneficial effects were evident with a reduction in BMI, reduced risk of cardiovascular stress, improved motor performance, and a decline in physiological stress with dieting success.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical School of the University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown Johannesburg, South Africa. rochelle@harold.sci.ccny.cuny.edu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buffenstein
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karklin
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Driver
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007659:Ketones / Q000652:urine; D008598:Menstruation / Q000502:physiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D007659:Ketones; D006854:Hydrocortisone