Figure 1.

Compensatory growth (CG) paradigm during fasting and refeeding (dashed line) compared to constant growth rate in fed controls (solid line). Normal growth (A) is disrupted by feed restriction (hatched bar), which results in a decline in the growth trajectory (B) and a size disparity compared to control animals fed a constant regimen. When feeding resumes, hyperphagia and enhanced growth axis activity drive a hyperanabolic phase (C) marked by a steeper growth curve than that of constantly fed animals. The CG response potentially allows stunted animals to fully compensate for lost growth opportunity and re-converge in size with constantly fed controls before the growth rate returns to normal (D).