Biomedical Journal of Indonesia
Vol. 12 No. 2 (2026): Vol 12, No 2, 2026

Comparative Effects of Monday–Thursday and Daud Fasting Regimens on Serum Testosterone Levels in Male Wistar Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Nanda Fadhilah Witris Salamy (Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Nahdlatul Ulama University of Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia)
Wiwik Winarningsih (Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nahdlatul Ulama University of Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia)
Nur Intania Puteri Kusnandar (Medical Doctor Study Program, Faculty of Medicine, Nahdlatul Ulama University of Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia)
Zamirah Mabarroh El Haque (Master of Education Management Program, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
22 Jul 2026

Abstract

Introduction. Intermittent fasting has attracted increasing attention because of its metabolic and endocrine benefits. However, evidence regarding the effects of non-daily fasting regimens, particularly Monday–Thursday fasting and Daud fasting, on male reproductive hormones remains limited. This study compared the effects of these regimens on serum testosterone levels in male Wistar rats. Methods. A true experimental study with a post-test-only control group design was conducted using 27 healthy male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus). Animals were randomly assigned to a control group, a Monday–Thursday fasting group, or a Daud fasting group (n = 9/group). The fasting groups underwent 12-hour daily feeding restriction (18:00–06:00) for 21 days, comprising six and ten fasting days, respectively. Serum testosterone levels were measured using ELISA and analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test. Results. Mean serum testosterone concentrations were 15.003 ± 3.55 mg/dL in the control group, 11.682 ± 3.05 mg/dL in the Monday–Thursday fasting group, and 8.501 ± 1.31 mg/dL in the Daud fasting group. Significant differences were observed among groups (p < 0.001). Both fasting groups showed significantly lower testosterone levels than the control group (p = 0.049 and p < 0.001), whereas no significant difference was found between the two fasting regimens (p = 0.061). Conclusion. Both Monday–Thursday fasting and Daud fasting for 21 days were associated with reduced serum testosterone levels in male Wistar rats. Further studies should control energy intake and evaluate hormonal and metabolic biomarkers to clarify the underlying mechanisms.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

bji

Publisher

Subject

Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology Medicine & Pharmacology

Description

Biomedical Journal of Indonesia is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that focus on basic medical sciences, emphasizing on providing the molecular studies of biomedical problems and molecular mechanisms to integrate researches in all aspects of human health. BJI is dedicated to publishing ...