Adding Fasting to Exercise Didn't Improve Brain Function in Menopause: What the Research Shows

Adding Fasting to Exercise Didn't Improve Brain Function in Menopause: What the Research Shows

Medical disclaimer: This article summarises published research for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for guidance from a qualified health professional. Always consult your doctor before starting any fasting protocol, especially if you have an existing health condition or take medication.

Researchers put 59 women going through menopause into two groups. One group did exercise only. The other did exercise plus a 16:8 fasting window. Both groups took brain tests before and after 12 weeks. Exercise alone improved some test scores. Adding fasting on top of exercise did not give any extra brain benefit.

The Short Version

• What they tested: Whether adding a 16:8 fasting window (eating only within 8 hours a day) to exercise helps thinking skills more than exercise alone, in women going through menopause.
• Who did it: B. Jóźwiak and colleagues at Poznan University of Physical Education, Poland, published in Frontiers in Public Health in 2025.
• How many people: 59 women. All were perimenopausal, menopausal, or postmenopausal. Exact ages are not stated in the abstract.
• How long: 12 weeks.
• What happened: Exercise alone improved some thinking-test scores. Adding fasting to exercise gave no extra brain benefit.
• Read the study yourself: Frontiers in Public Health 2025 →

What They Wanted to Find Out

Many women worry about brain fog during menopause. Exercise is already known to help the brain. This study asked a simple question. Does adding a fasting eating window make exercise's brain benefits even bigger?

If you have read about how time-restricted eating cuts weight the same in both menopause stages, this study looks at a different outcome. It focuses on thinking and memory, not weight.

Researchers also wanted to see if combining fasting with workouts helps women over 50 get fitter in other ways too, this time for the brain specifically.

Who Was in the Study

Who they were: All 59 women were going through some stage of menopause. The study included perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women together. Exact ages and weight details are not stated in the abstract.

What the fasting actually looked like: The fasting group ate only within an 8-hour window each day, a pattern called 16:8. Both groups did a program of resistance and endurance circuit training over 12 weeks.

What Happened

Exercise alone improved some brain test scores. Adding fasting to exercise did not add anything extra.

• Both groups got faster on a focus and attention test called the Stroop Test.
• Only the exercise-only group made fewer mistakes on that test.
• Only the exercise-only group showed a rise in resting brain wave activity linked to memory.
• A working memory test, called the N-back Test, did not change in either group.
• Two proteins linked to brain cell health, called BDNF and GDNF, stayed the same in both groups.

What Did Not Change

• Working memory scores on the N-back Test stayed the same in both groups.
• BDNF, a protein linked to brain cell growth, did not change in either group.
• GDNF, another brain-support protein, did not change in either group.
• Naming-related mistakes on the focus test did not change in either group.

What the Researchers Said

The researchers concluded that adding fasting to exercise did not beat exercise alone for brain health. They said exercise itself seems to be the main driver of the benefits seen.

What This Means for You

• Exercise looks like the key player: In this study, movement mattered more than the eating window for brain test scores.
• Fasting on top of exercise was not harmful: No group got worse. It simply did not add an extra benefit here.
• For women in menopause specifically: This trial included perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women together, but did not report results separately for each stage.
• This study cannot tell you about fasting alone: Every woman in this trial also exercised, so we don't know what fasting alone would do to the brain.
• If brain fog worries you: Consider that regular movement, not just meal timing, may be the more proven lever right now.
• Curious about other menopause findings? See what happened when women tried time-restricted eating for menopause symptoms or checked whether fasting changes women's hormones.

What This Study Could Not Tell Us

• Only 59 women took part. That is a small study.
• All participants were women, so the findings may not apply to men.
• The trial ran for 12 weeks. It cannot say what happens over a year or longer.
• Perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women were grouped together, not compared as separate stages.
• The funding source is not stated in the abstract.

The Study Details

Jóźwiak B, Kleka P, Laudańska-Krzemińska I. (2025). Effect of exercise alone and in combination with time-restricted eating on cognitive health in menopausal women. Frontiers in Public Health. PMID: 40880914

Common Questions

Does intermittent fasting help menopause brain fog?

This study found that fasting added to exercise did not improve brain test scores beyond exercise alone. It cannot say whether fasting alone would help brain fog.

Is 16:8 fasting good for women over 40?

This study only measured brain test scores over 12 weeks. It found that 16:8 fasting combined with exercise was not harmful, but did not add benefits beyond exercise alone.

Does time-restricted eating improve memory in menopause?

No. In this trial, working memory scores on the N-back Test did not change in either group, with or without fasting.

Can exercise alone improve brain health in menopause?

Yes, in this study. The exercise-only group showed fewer mistakes on a focus test and a rise in memory-linked brain wave activity.

Is intermittent fasting safe for perimenopausal women?

This study did not report any harm from combining 16:8 fasting with exercise. It was a small, 12-week trial, so long-term safety was not tested.

More Research Like This

• Time-Restricted Eating Works the Same Before and After Menopause
• Time-Restricted Eating Cuts Weight the Same in Both Menopause Stages
• Time-Restricted Eating Eased Menopause Symptoms More Than Exercise
• Combining Fasting With Interval Workouts Helped Women Over 50 Get Fitter
• Intermittent Fasting Improved Fitness in Postmenopausal Women
• Does Time-Restricted Eating Improve Sleep?
• Does Time-Restricted Eating Change Women's Hormones? No

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