Wondering what you should eat for breakfast while you are trying to lose weight? A recent study suggests that whether you should choose toast or eggs may depend on your gender. Researchers have discovered that when it comes to breaking down meals after fasting for hours, men respond better to carbs, while women manage fat more effectively.
Using mathematical models, researchers from the University of Waterloo examined how men’s and women’s metabolisms respond to breakfast nutrition. The results published in the journal Computers in Biology and Medicine reveal that men are typically more efficient at processing meals heavy in carbohydrates, like oats and grains, while women are better at breaking down food containing more lipids or fats, under the same conditions after fasting.
“Since women have more body fat on average than men, you would think that they would burn less fat for energy, but they don’t. The results of the model suggest that women store more fat immediately after a meal but also burn more fat during a fast,” Anita Layton, who led the study said in a news release.
The study highlights how men and women respond differently to meal plans with identical calorie counts, offering valuable insights for those aiming to lose weight.
“If you are looking at two plates with different types of food but both have the same amount of calories, if you choose the food that your body can more efficiently metabolize, then you are more likely to lose weight,” Layton said.
The researchers also noted that the sex-related metabolic differences are more pronounced during short-term fasting.
“Lifestyle is a big factor in our overall health. We live busy lives, so it’s important to understand how seemingly inconsequential decisions, such as what to have for breakfast, can affect our health and energy levels. Whether attempting to lose weight, maintain weight, or just keep up your energy, understanding your diet’s impact on your metabolism is important,” said Stéphanie Abo, the lead author of the study.
The researchers plan to expand their studies to build more detailed models, to see how factors like age, weight, and menstrual cycle stages affect the way the bodies use energy.
