A Review of the Effect of Dietary Composition on Fasting Substrate Oxidation in Healthy and Overweight Subjects.

AIM The purpose of this review was to assess existing evidence on the effects of chronic dietary macronutrient composition on substrate oxidation during a fasted state in healthy and overweight subjects. METHODS A systematic review of studies was conducted across five databases. Studies were included if they were English language studies of human adults, ≥19 years, used indirect calorimetry (ventilated hood technique), specified dietary macronutrient composition, and measured substrate oxidation. RESULTS There was no evidence that variations of a typical, non-experimental diet influenced rate or ratio of substrate utilization, however there may be an upper and lower threshold for when macronutrient composition may directly alter preferences for fuel oxidation rates during a fasted state. CONCLUSION This review indicates that macronutrient composition of a wide range of typical, non-experimental dietary fat and carbohydrate intakes has no effect on fasting substrate oxidation. This suggests that strict control of dietary intake prior to fasting indirect calorimetry measurements may be an unnecessary burden for study participants. Further research into the effects of long-term changes in isocaloric macronutrient shift is required.