By Dayne Hudson
ZERO.
The amount of solid evidence suggesting eating every 3 hours leads to a FASTER metabolism and MORE fat loss.
It MIGHT not even be better for protein synthesis, but more on that later.
A study by JD CAMERON et al published in 2009 (1), involved groups of overweight men and women who were followed for 8 weeks, and randomly assigned to very strict low-calorie diets.
Each of the ate the same number of calories per day, however one group took in 3 meals a day and the other 6.
THE RESULTS
BOTH groups lost THE SAME amount of weight.
It's worth pointing out that there was also no difference in appetite control or any hormones that promote hunger or satiety (the feeling of being full).
Furthermore, feeding patterns ranging from two to seven meals per day have been compared in tightly controlled studies, with no significant differences in thermogenesis over a 24-hour period detected (2,3).
Put simply, more meals doesn't led to more calories being burnt.
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS (Building and repairing of muscle)
It's long been preached that eating every 3 hours for those of you looking to gain muscle mass is the BEST - because it gives your muscles a constant supply of amino acids.
Let's take a look at this.
It's suggested that the length of protein synthesis after a meal containing protein, carbs and fat, is around 3 hours long (4).
Now it is important to mention that this study was conducted on rats, which doesn't ALWAYS translate to the same in human beings.
But it is still worth noting, and most probably, the same for humans when you look at it in the context of evolution.
I've read books from well-known competition natural bodybuilders who tell their readers that a missed meal (every three hours) is an opportunity GONE forever, and basically your hard earnt muscle will begin to breakdown.
Not only does this make little sense when you look at it from an evolution point of view (How the hell would an irregular feeding cave man have maintained muscle mass?) but none when you examine some of the studies.
What IS NOT mentioned by those who say eating every three hours is best (most likely because they don't know) is that the protein, carbs and fat meal after three hours results in plasma amino acid levels STILL higher than baseline!
And it get's better.
Plasma leucine levels (leucine being the boss of amino acids, responsible for protein synthesis [5]), is elevated almost THREE times above baseline!
So eating every 2-3 hours may NOT the answer for optimal protein synthesis, given plasma leucine levels are still higher than baseline from the previous meal.
BUT HANG ON - CAN'T ONLY AROUND 30g-40g OF PROTEIN BE ABSORBED AT EACH MEAL?
Another popular myth, that's nothing more than a load of bulldust. "Broscience" as we call it, myths passed on from generation to generation of gym rats.
Regardless of what you hear - there's NO known MAXIMUM amount of protein that can be absorbed in one sitting.
But some information we do have on the absorption front, is that humans absorb around 95% of ingested animal proteins, and approximately 85% of ingested plant proteins (6).
THE ALTERNATIVE
The suggestion is that eating larger meals containing GREATER amounts of protein, might be the go.
One study (7) looked at eldery women, with an intake of 60g of protein per day, with one group receiving the whole lot in one meal, another divided into four meals.
THE RESULTS
The group receiving the whole lot in one go had higher rates of protein synthesis.
It seems the smaller and frequent meals never quite hit the level required to spur on protein synthesis.
So this is not to say that one meal a day is the way to go.
What this means that less frequent meals MAY just be the way to enhance protein synthesis, as opposed to eating every three hours.
But for fat burning, it seems the results are somewhat clearer, with no research telling us that frequent meals is any better.
However, my post workout meal is stacked with around 80-100grams of protein, with the goal of achieving superior protein synthesis (based on these studies).
I then wait 5.5 hours before having my final meal before bed.
Do you think my muscles are screaming for food, and deprived of amino acids in this period?
ABSOLUTELY NOT - considering that whey protein (a FAST absorbing protein) absorbs at 10grams an hour (8) - so you can imagine how safe I feel with a gut full of chicken, steak, etc.
I hope that sheds some light on why I'm not stressed about fasting for nearly 6 hours with 80 grams of protein (NOT fast absorbing for that matter!) under my belt.
So the take home message is that eating LARGER meals LESS frequently might just be the answer for superior muscle growth, but it's fair to say that there's MORE research needed, before we can come to any definite conclusions.
The point is that just because it's what's we have been told, DOESN'T MEAN IT'S TRUE.
That's not to say that following a diet that has you eating every 3 hours is WRONG for muscle growth, it just MAY not be as effective as people might lead you to believe, but it sure is a good way to make sure you're getting in A LOT of calories.
But for fat loss, there's no question that eating every three hours is NOT superior, even though it certainly works as efficiently as infrequent meals.
But one thing's for sure - if there are any final conclusions on the meal frequency/protein synthesis front - you'll read about them right here.
Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!
REFERENCES:
(1) JD Cameron et al. Increased meal frequency does not promote greater weight loss in subjects who were prescribed an 8-week equi-energetic energy-restricted diet. Br J Nutr. 2010 Apr;103(8):1098-101.
(2) Taylor MA, Garrow JS: Compared with nibbling, neither gorging nor a morning fast affect short-term energy balance in obese patients in a chamber calorimeter. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2001, 25:519-528.
(3) De Venne WP V-v, Westerterp KR: Influence of the feeding frequency on nutrient utilization in man: consequences for energy metabolism. Eur J Clin Nutr 1991, 45:161-169.
(4) Norton LE, Layman DK, Bunpo P, Anthony TG, Brana DV, Garlick PJ. The leucine content of a complete meal directs peak activation but not duration of skeletal muscle protein synthesis and Mammalian target of rapamycin signaling in rats. J Nutr. 2009 Jun;139(6):1103-9.
(5) Norton LE, Layman DK. Leucine regulates translation initiation of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle after exercise. J Nutr. 2006 Feb;136(2):533S-537S.
(6) Young VR, Pellett PL. Plant proteins in relation to human protein and amino acid nutrition. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59(5 suppl):1203S-1212S.
(7) Arnal MA, Mosoni L, Boirie Y, Houlier ML, Morin L, Verdier E, Ritz P, ANtoine JM, Prugnaud J, Beaufrere B, Mirand PP. Pulse feeding improves protein retention in elderly women. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Jun;69(6):1202-8.
(8) Bilsbourough S, Mann N. A Review of Issues of Dietary Protein Intake in Humans. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2006, 16, 129-152.
