Guest Post By Sol Orwell of Examine.com
For those that haven’t seen Examine.com, you’re missing out. They’ve built up a solid reputation on presenting evidence-based information on nutrition and supplementation. I get a ton of questions about nutrition, so I asked if they would do a series of posts on nutrition. Maybe even tackle some myths.
Here’s the first one – on meal frequency.
Meal Frequency?
- A common claim is that eating more meals a day causes an increase in metabolism?
- Another claim is that because your metabolism keeps spiking, you burn more fat, which helps with fat loss.
What’s the evidence?
- A few trials have been done, keeping the diet the same, and only manipulating the timing and size of meals.
- A few trials have been conducted assessing the above claims, keeping the composition of the diet steady and only manipulating the timing and size of the meals
- No differences exist in weight or fat loss1
- No differences exist in the metabolic rate2
- No differences exist in fat oxidation rates3,4
What else should I know?
- Usually, the more times you eat, the more calories you can pack in
- An increase in meal frequency can cause you to feel hungrier5
- A decrease in meal frequency causes you to feel less hungry6
- If not told how to eat, most people prefer fewer meals7
Summing it Up
Meal frequency is nothing more than personal taste. Some people love three square meals a day. Some people love one giant meal a day. And some people love to nibble throughout. Meal frequency is irrelevant, and its effects on metabolism are irrelevant. Your metabolism does increase when you eat food – so the more food you eat, the longer it stays elevated.
Admittedly, if you are trying to pack on mass, more meals may make it easier to eat a ton of calories, but the effect would be the same if you ate all of those calories in two meals.
Eat however many meals you find most comfortable with.
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Click HERE to check out Sol’s Supplement Goals Reference Guide, the cheat sheet to better health, a better body and a better life.
