Unlike in mice, human studies show that when calories are matched, time-restricted feeding does not provide unique benefits like activating the cellular cleanup process of autophagy.

The one key extra benefit of an early, light dinner is improved sleep quality, as the body can focus on repair instead of digestion, which can be tracked by a lower overnight heart rate.

When practicing time-restricted feeding by skipping meals, it becomes harder to consume the 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body weight needed to support muscle growth.

You can have a low-calorie protein shake in the morning while fasting because the main benefit comes from overall calorie restriction, not the fasting state itself.

Longer, multi-day fasts are not recommended because the negative impact from significant muscle loss vastly outweighs any potential and unproven benefits.

The primary benefits from time-restricted feeding, such as weight loss or improved blood sugar, are simply due to eating fewer calories, with no extra magic happening.