You are missing key informations here (see below). The study you linked is on obese people primarily aiming for weight loss, it’s absolutely not of good quality for judging IF because calories and protein intake are not matched between the groups, it’s more a study of if IF gives better satiety. Not really comparable to the one randomized on firefighters discussed here, which is of better quality overall especially for IF health benefits (main vs secondary objective in your linked study, randomized not only on obese people, no difference in meal compositions between groups) and so directly contradicts the decision of the lead researcher you cited to quit IF.
From the study you linked:
> Participants were randomized such that the consistent meal timing (CMT) group was instructed to eat 3 structured meals per day, and the time-restricted eating (TRE) group was instructed to eat ad libitum from 12:00 pm until 8:00 pm
> A follow-up study showed that when calorie intake and protein intake were matched to prestudy consumption, no change in lean mass was observed.
> Ad libitum feeding during TRE leads to reduced calorie intake and might also reduce protein intake.9 Together, these data highlight the importance of adequate protein consumption while adhering to a TRE diet. Many studies have shown that adequate/excessive protein consumption during weight loss can mitigate losses in lean mass.
From the study you linked:
> Participants were randomized such that the consistent meal timing (CMT) group was instructed to eat 3 structured meals per day, and the time-restricted eating (TRE) group was instructed to eat ad libitum from 12:00 pm until 8:00 pm
> A follow-up study showed that when calorie intake and protein intake were matched to prestudy consumption, no change in lean mass was observed.
> Ad libitum feeding during TRE leads to reduced calorie intake and might also reduce protein intake.9 Together, these data highlight the importance of adequate protein consumption while adhering to a TRE diet. Many studies have shown that adequate/excessive protein consumption during weight loss can mitigate losses in lean mass.