Can a 9-Hour eating window reset blood sugar and body rhythms?
NCT ID NCT07820384
First seen Sep 15, 2026 · Last updated Sep 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers are testing whether limiting all meals and snacks to a 9-hour window each day improves blood sugar control, insulin levels, and daily metabolic rhythms in adults with obesity and prediabetes. The trial enrolls 26 people aged 35 to 75 who usually eat over 13 hours a day. Participants follow either the 9-hour eating schedule or a 14-hour window for 12 weeks, and researchers measure blood sugar, insulin, and appetite hormones over a full 24-hour test day.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- time-restricted eating, a schedule that limits all meals and snacks to a 9-hour window each day
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could support time-restricted eating as a practical way to improve blood sugar control and lower heart disease risk in people with obesity and prediabetes.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, 12-week study, so any benefits may not last or apply to everyone. Participants must stick to a strict eating window, which can be hard to maintain.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 26 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
-
Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
-
May 2031
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
35 to 75 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study * aged 35-75 years * men and women * body mass index 27-45 kg/m2 * fasting plasma glucose 5.6-6.9 mmol/L, or 2h OGTT plasma glucose 7.8-11.1 mmol/L or haemoglobin A1C 39-46 mmol/mol, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) score ≥2.73 * self-reported habitual eating period ≥ 13 h per day Exclusion Criteria: * shift worker * fasting \>12 h/day more than once a week * vegan * \> once a week no food intake after \~1800 h * habitually waking up before \~0400 h and sleeping before \~2100 h * unstable weight (\>5% change the last 2 months) * type 1 or 2 diabetes * sleep disorder (individuals with well-controlled sleep apnoea) * eating disorder * cancer in last 5 years * conditions that render subject unable to complete all testing procedures (including individuals with known allergies or contraindications to the medications used in this study) * use of medications that affect the study outcome measures or increase the risk of study procedures and that cannot be temporarily discontinued (e.g., steroids, alpha- or beta-adrenergic blockers or agonists, etc.) * smoking and illegal drug use * pregnant or lactating * gastrointestinal or bariatric surgery (except cholecystectomy and appendectomy) * unable to grant voluntary informed consent or comply with the study instructions * individuals with electromedical devices * prisoners * alcohol abuse
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Obesity are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Cambridge Clinical Research Centre
Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Custom knee guides put to the test in obese patients
- Can four minutes of hard exercise match a longer workout for blood sugar?
- A pill for obesity? early human trial puts MDR-001 to the test
- Can a weekly shot help people who still struggle with weight after bariatric surgery?
- Do GLP-1 Weight-Loss drugs change how teens eat and feel?
- Can electrical muscle stimulation boost exercise benefits after menopause?