Impact of Dinner Timing on Human Behaviours and Health

In the early dinner trial, participants will be required to eat dinner between 17:30 and 19:00 for a week. In the delayed dinner trial, participants will be required to eat dinner between 20:30 and 22:00 for a week. During the intervention, energy intake (3 days of weekday and 1 day of weekend), physical activity (7 days), glucose concentrations (7 days) and sleep (7 days) will be monitored continuously for both early and delayed dinner.

After intervention, body composition, cognition, food preference, metabolic health and resting metabolic rate will be measured.

Inclusion criteria

• No regular exerciser in the last 3 months.
• BMI between 18.5-27 kg/m².
• Regular habit of eating three meals per day, with dinner consumed between 17:00 and 20:00.
• No intentional weight change (>3%) in the past 3 months.
• No special dietary practices (e.g., intermittent fasting).
• Regular sleep (22:00-01:00), at least 6.5 hours per night.
• Non-smoker and non-alcoholic.
• Willing to maintain stable lifestyle and comply with protocol.

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnancy, preparing for pregnancy or menopause.
• Personal history of/existing diabetes, cardiovascular disease or metabolic diseases.
• Diagnosed sleep disorders.
• Taking medications influencing glucose metabolism.