Summary: A recent study using mathematical models suggests that breakfast choices may affect men’s and women’s metabolisms differently. Results indicate that men’s metabolisms respond better to carb-heavy breakfasts, while women’s bodies benefit more from higher-fat options like eggs or avocados, especially after fasting.
These findings highlight the importance of personalized nutrition in supporting weight loss, energy, and overall health. The researchers aim to expand this model to account for additional factors, such as age and individual physiology, for even more tailored dietary recommendations.
Key Facts
- Men benefit more from carb-rich breakfasts, while women respond better to fat-based options.
- Personalized breakfast choices may support weight management and energy levels.
- Researchers plan to refine models to include age, weight, and menstrual cycle phases.
Source: University of Waterloo
It’s not a bad thing if you pick a toasted bagel for breakfast, while your partner chooses eggs. In fact, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo, that difference could help you lose some weight.
The study, which employed a mathematical model of men’s and women’s metabolisms, showed that men’s metabolisms respond better on average to a meal laden with high carbohydrates like oats and grains after fasting for several hours, while women are better served by a meal with a higher percentage of fat, such as omelettes and avocados.
“Lifestyle is a big factor in our overall health,” said Stéphanie Abo, an Applied Mathematics PhD candidate and the lead author of the study.
“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.”
The study builds on an existing gap in research on sex differences in how men and women process fat. “We often have less research data on women’s bodies than on men’s bodies,” said Anita Layton, a professor of Applied Mathematics and Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematical Biology and Medicine.
“By building mathematical models based on the data we do have, we can test lots of hypotheses quickly and tweak experiments in ways that would be impractical with human subjects.”
“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,” said Layton. “The results of the model suggest that women store more fat immediately after a meal but also burn more fat during a fast.”
Going forward, the researchers hope to build more complex versions of their metabolism models and extend beyond the consideration of biological sex by incorporating an individual’s weight, age, or stage in the menstrual cycle.
About this metabolism and diet research news
Author: Ryon Jones
Source: University of Waterloo
Contact: Ryon Jones – University of Waterloo
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Modeling sex-specific whole-body metabolic responses to feeding and fasting” by Stéphanie Abo et al. Computers in Biology and Medicine
Abstract
Modeling sex-specific whole-body metabolic responses to feeding and fasting
Men generally favor carbohydrate metabolism, while women lean towards lipid metabolism, resulting in significant sex-based differences in energy oxidation across various metabolic states such as fasting and feeding. These differences are influenced by body composition and inherent metabolic fluxes, including increased lipolysis rates in women.
However, understanding how sex influences organ-specific metabolism and systemic manifestations remains incomplete. T
o address these gaps, we developed a sex-specific, whole-body metabolic model for feeding and fasting scenarios in healthy young adults.
Our model integrates organ metabolism with whole-body responses to mixed meals, particularly high-carbohydrate and high-fat meals. Our predictions suggest that differences in liver and adipose tissue nutrient storage and oxidation patterns drive systemic metabolic disparities.
We propose that sex differences in fasting hepatic glucose output may result from the different handling of free fatty acids, glycerol, and glycogen. We identified a metabolic pathway, possibly more prevalent in female livers, redirecting lipids towards carbohydrate metabolism to support hepatic glucose production.
This mechanism is facilitated by the TG-FFA cycle between adipose tissue and the liver. Incorporating sex-specific data into multi-scale frameworks offers insights into how sex modulates human metabolism.
