Diet, Nutrition and SupplementationPost here for supplement reviews or nutritional advice. If you're trying to get "ripped abz" THIS is where you should be.
The papers I've read on this subject showed no impact on body composition when comparing 3 feedings vs 5-6 feedings. It could lead to better insulin sensitivity though since it's less spiked and maybe it has a different effect in particular populations (athletes maybe) but I haven't seen that.
The only thing I've read that showed a positive effect was this one (on a sick population...) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...=pubmed_docsum
It seems to work for preventing overeating at the next meal in my experience, and I think you might find some studies like this on Medline. Other than that it seems like something promoted by the whey protein industry - it's very difficult to eat 6-8 feeds/day unless you are using supplemental liquid meals or bars.
there was an old article on T-nation that i just happened to come across a few weeks ago that summarized findings from a conference. one of the studies was by Casandra where they tracked hourly muscle synthesis/breakdown in subjects and showed improvements with higher meal frequencies. i don't seem to be able to find it right now but maybe you'll have a better luck searching their site. i think it's from early 2000's.
__________________ 2009: No races, No times. Slow year. So, now you're 96 cals short. You're now in starvation mode. Doomed. - LostDog
Blog entry: November 1, 2009, Pancakes LiveSTRONG daily plate log
A woman on another site approached me asking for scientific research that proves eating every 2-3 hours (5-8 feedings a day) is more beneficial.
Did you search Alan Aragon's site for this information? I don't know for sure that you'll find the scientific research you're interested in, but if I was going to search for it, that's where I'd start.
A woman on another site approached me asking for scientific research that proves eating every 2-3 hours (5-8 feedings a day) is more beneficial.
It seems someone she's trying to help is a conspiracy theorist claiming the concept is designed to promote a fad diet and/or dietary supplimentation.
I found something posted by Q., but I have to be a member to access the full article.
Something that is isolated from any one particular diet strategy would be most helpful and one that is a research piece gives 10 Lefty points.
Research hasn't shown any actual metabolic/thermodynamic benefit to high meal frequency (6-ish) versus low (3-ish). However, a more consistent meal frequency pattern, as opposed to a haphazard one (ie, 3 meals one day, 6 the next, etc) has been seen to improve insulin sensitivity. The latter was seen regardless of number of meals per day. Furthermore, meal frequency doesn't appear to have any impact on spontaneous over or undereating.
Okay, so that's the existing research. But, what's missing from that research is the impact of a structured exercise program on the effect of meal frequency. When you look at things logically, the less frequent the meals, the more important timing becomes when fueling the training bout for either performance purposes or protein synthetic/antiproteolytic purposes. The converse applies when a high meal frequency is combined with an exercise program. The aforementioned protocol specifically examining meal frequency + structured exercise hasn't shown up in research yet. Most of us know from realworld experience that eating less than 4x a day isn't practical when you throw an exercise program into the mix, which can throw a monkey wrench into the existing research in a number of ways.
Did you search Alan Aragon's site for this information? I don't know for sure that you'll find the scientific research you're interested in, but if I was going to search for it, that's where I'd start.
I did, but unless the subject lines are abstracted higher level concepts of lower level theories, I didn't see something that fit. Alan has surprisingly few articles on his site.
Research hasn't shown any actual metabolic/thermodynamic benefit to high meal frequency (6-ish) versus low (3-ish). However, a more consistent meal frequency pattern, as opposed to a haphazard one (ie, 3 meals one day, 6 the next, etc) has been seen to improve insulin sensitivity. The latter was seen regardless of number of meals per day. Furthermore, meal frequency doesn't appear to have any impact on spontaneous over or undereating.
Alan, would you happen to have the titles or links to these?
I'm a genie, someone must have rubbed a lamp... Hey Lisa, where do I know you from? I feel like I know you. Past life perhaps?
Maybe so! How cool, my genie from my other life!
I've probably seen you around on other forums, but we've never met in person. I like what you write. Maybe you just wish you knew me because I praise your work. :p
Research hasn't shown any actual metabolic/thermodynamic benefit to high meal frequency (6-ish) versus low (3-ish). However, a more consistent meal frequency pattern, as opposed to a haphazard one (ie, 3 meals one day, 6 the next, etc) has been seen to improve insulin sensitivity. The latter was seen regardless of number of meals per day. Furthermore, meal frequency doesn't appear to have any impact on spontaneous over or undereating.
Okay, so that's the existing research. But, what's missing from that research is the impact of a structured exercise program on the effect of meal frequency. When you look at things logically, the less frequent the meals, the more important timing becomes when fueling the training bout for either performance purposes or protein synthetic/antiproteolytic purposes. The converse applies when a high meal frequency is combined with an exercise program. The aforementioned protocol specifically examining meal frequency + structured exercise hasn't shown up in research yet. Most of us know from realworld experience that eating less than 4x a day isn't practical when you throw an exercise program into the mix, which can throw a monkey wrench into the existing research in a number of ways.
Thats a big thing for me. Working from home, and eating multiple small meals, means that I work out when I feel like it. If I get the urge mid-morning then I'm set, if I feel more like waiting till the afternoon I'm set there too. I've never just eating a huge meal, or feeling emtpy after too many hours since I last ate.
Alan, would you happen to have the titles or links to these?
Go on pubmed and search for "nibbling insulin" and "nibbling body composition" or "nibbling weight loss" and "nibbling isocaloric". You can then chose to see the abstract which are done on human and ideally those who have no disease but hey, you can't have everything.
This is no science, just personal experience..
The difference I found between the years I was eating 3 (large) meals and now.. (5-6 small ones).. Is that my stomach is now not accustomed to large meals.. so even if I'm at a wonderful meal with lots of good, tempting stuff.. I don't (can't) overeat as much as I used to be able to.
This is no science, just personal experience..
The difference I found between the years I was eating 3 (large) meals and now.. (5-6 small ones).. Is that my stomach is now not accustomed to large meals.. so even if I'm at a wonderful meal with lots of good, tempting stuff.. I don't (can't) overeat as much as I used to be able to.
Mary,
Do you find that your meals are unsatisfyingly small when trying to lose weight? Some women have to go down to close to 1200 cals per day. That could mean 6 meals of 200 cals each. Not pretty.
When I'm trying to gain, I'll eat up to 8 times (although, I don't think I'll ever try to gain that hard again). When I'm losing weight, I'll shoot for 5-6 meals, just to keep them large enough to be satisfying.
I've also considered going back to the traditional 3 meals and snacks, but haven't really done that yet.
This is no science, just personal experience..
The difference I found between the years I was eating 3 (large) meals and now.. (5-6 small ones).. Is that my stomach is now not accustomed to large meals.. so even if I'm at a wonderful meal with lots of good, tempting stuff.. I don't (can't) overeat as much as I used to be able to.
That's true. I feel like it's much harder to eat more veggies/fruits by eating only 3 meals a day since they are a lot more filling. There are many factors that should be taken into account and "eating healthy" wasn't assessed in the studies above !
LostDog,
I'm definately one of those women.. even with all the exercise I do.. I need to go 1000 - 1200 to loose weight. (very difficult to do cause at those calorie quantities.. with my training, I'd need to tweak my nutrient timing around and during my sports activities to a level I haven't been able to yet)
to answer your questions.. definately unsatisfying.. even when I'm just at a maintenance level ( 1400 - 1700 calories) . I try to tell myself that I have so many other things in life that satisfy me, that I don't need food to be one of them, but my stomach and emotionality don't always agree.
I find Tums (ant-acids) help, but don't want to take them on a regular baisis).
I do have a plan though.. I'm working on creating an "inner desire" to be slim, the same way that I HAVE (and always have had) the inner desire to be active.. I don't know if it is possible..
That's true. I feel like it's much harder to eat more veggies/fruits by eating only 3 meals a day since they are a lot more filling. There are many factors that should be taken into account and "eating healthy" wasn't assessed in the studies above !
humm I don't really find veggies more filling that proteins.. but if included in 3 meals.. we can eat soooo much low calorie stuff at one meal, that I feel my stomach actually expands.. and then.. if I stop eating veggies and go towards carbs (because of lack of will power or whatever) I still have that large stomach to fill!
Working out in the evening after work (say, 9:00 p.m to 10:45 p.m. or so, three to five days a week), I find three meals seems to work well for me. I like to eat a small, "dirty" meal an hour before working out (say, beef stew or pasta and meat sauce) and a larger version afterwards.
Does this make sense or am I just rationalizing my taste for "dirty" carbs? I don't seem to gain a pound when I eat like this.
Cynic, I took (the little) that Alan has posted on here re "dirty" eating as confirmation that one can eat high glycemic carbs around workouts without paying too much of a price in weight gain (if any).
Of course, I guess I am actually eating four meals on workout days, a little one before and bigger one afterwards. I do seem to get a better workout from eating before, and get nice and full without balooning from chowing down afterwards.
Of course, I am not drinking shakes before or after, and I could probably have even better results if I did. Thing is, I love the food I love too much to take in any calories in liquid form (except for soup. Love soup. Try to limit it because of the salt)
I will be interested to see if the switch to NROL Hyper I has an effect on how much I can eat without gaining fat.
Of
Scientific research on the 2-3 hour feeding habit.
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