Nutritional Strategies for Preserving Fat-Free Mass during Intentional Weight Loss

Dear Colleagues,

Obesity has emerged as a global health concern, affecting millions worldwide. Weight reduction is essential in improving health outcomes in individuals with obesity, as it can significantly reduce the risks of, improve, or even resolve obesity-related complications. However, weight loss efforts often entail a physiological reduction in fat-free mass, which poses particular concerns, especially in individuals with baseline sarcopenic obesity or when substantial amounts of weight are lost. 

Fat-free mass—comprising muscles, bones, organs, and fluids—is critical for overall health, affecting metabolic rate, physical strength, and function. There are growing concerns that a reduction in fat-free mass during weight loss might increase the risk of frailty, emphasizing the need for targeted nutritional strategies in order to address this issue.

The Special Issue entitled "Nutritional Strategies for Preserving Fat-Free Mass during Intentional Weight Loss” seeks to explore dietary approaches which are capable of supporting the maintenance of muscle and bone mass during weight loss achieved through the currently available strategies, including lifestyle modifications, pharmacological interventions, and bariatric surgery. 

Submissions are invited in the form of original research, reviews, and communications regarding topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• Nutritional interventions designed to mitigate the loss of muscle and bone mass, particularly in contexts that present a higher risk of frailty, such as in individuals with sarcopenic obesity or those undergoing significant weight reduction.
• The impact of different dietary patterns (e.g., ketogenic, Mediterranean, intermittent fasting) and specific nutrients on maintaining or enhancing fat-free mass during weight reduction.
• Mechanistic studies on how various weight loss strategies impact muscle protein synthesis, bone density, and overall body composition.
• Assessments of combined dietary and exercise interventions aiming to optimize the preservation of fat-free mass during weight loss.
• Clinical trials, case studies, and systematic reviews evaluating the effectiveness of nutritional strategies in maintaining or improving fat-free mass, as well as preventing frailty during weight loss achieved through currently available strategies, including lifestyle modifications, pharmacological interventions, and bariatric surgery.

Through advancing our understanding and developing comprehensive strategies that support the preservation of fat-free mass during weight loss, this Special Issue aims to offer actionable insights for healthcare professionals and individuals facing the complexities of weight reduction. Our goal is to contribute to the broader dialogue on maintaining health and physical function when achieving clinically significant and intentional weight loss.

We look forward to your contributions to this important field of study.

Dr. Caterina Conte
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• sarcopenia
• obesity
• sarcopenic obesity
• body composition
• aging
• exercise
• muscle strength
• muscle mass
• skeletal muscle
• energy restriction
• fat-free mass
• cardiovascular disease
• insulin resistance
• weight loss
• maintenance outcomes