Thursday, January 15, 2009

The Myth of 6 Meals A Day

By Caleb Lee

Do you actually need to eat 6-8 small meals to keep your metabolism revved up so you shed fat all day and keep a stable stream of nutrients flowing to build strong, massive muscles?

If you've been around the fitness scene for any amount of time, or have read some diet books or articles, you would think the solution to this one is a simple yes " but the reality is

The 6-8 meals a day Advice Is A Cock-and-Bull Story!

The advice is based on studies done around the thermic effect of food (TEF). You see, whenever you eat, your body uses about 10% of those calories (total) to provide energy just to digest the food

When this was found out, people misinterpreted the research by saying the more you eat (frequency) the more calories you'll burn all day but this was a mistake because the math doesn't work out.

* Six pint-sized meals of 300 calories (6-300) = 1800 calories total.

* Each meal you burn 10% of calories = 30 calories burned with each 300 cal meal

* Total cals burned because of TEF = 180

Therefore weigh that to a normal diet of 3 heavy meals:

* 3 Heavy Meals of 600 calories (3-600) = 1800 calories total.

* Each meal you burn 10% of calories = 60 calories burned with each 600 cal meal

* Total cals burned because of TEF = 180

So you see, if the calories are the same, it doesn't matter how you break them up " you're still burning the same amount of calories and affecting your metabolism the exact same way no matter how often you eat.

Will Eating More Frequently Bring About More Lean Muscle Gain?

The quick answer is not at all. Eating protein continuously in reality triggers your body not to produce it as much. Eating more total calories WILL result in building extra muscle but the meal frequency has not much to do with it.

More crucial for lean muscle gain is the timing of your meals, particularly the post workout meal needs to be excellent to make a big thing that you're getting superior nutrients into your body when it needs them the most.

Will Eating Fewer Meals Lead To Muscle Loss?

Lots of guys who lift weights believe (and I used to) that not eating 6-8 meals per day will put your body into a catabolic state. Which means because you're not eating a lot of food and keeping the levels of amino acids in your blood high your body will use your muscle tissue as fat.

This is not true either nevertheless not to the degree that you've heard. Because even though you just eat one heavy meal per day, it can take up to 12 hours to digest" increasingly releasing amino acids into your bloodstream the whole time.

When Would You Eat 6-8 Meals

So as to achieve a LOT of weight " you need to boost your calorie intake to gain weight and put on muscle, thus if you're an extra-large guy and you have to eat 5,000 calories a day to put on mass it might be easier on your stomach and digestive system to consume 5,000 calories broken up into a set of lesser meals.

If you're using a ton of energy " If you're a high level athlete who burns a ton of energy like Michael Phelps who eats up to 12,000 calories per DAY and eats like an elephant. Also guys in the military in boot camp often eat as much as possible when they get the chance but still end up losing weight

If you have a thing about it - Several people may feel extra full 6-8 eating reduced meals per day grazing for their food consumption. I'm not one of those people but more power to you if you are.

I believe being aware of this will surely help you feel improved in your search for better fitness, I know I believed this cock-and-bull story for a LONG time because nearly each and every one suggests it.

What Do I Do For Myself?

I execute infrequent fasting. And I ENJOY it. I vary between a warrior diet style eating schedule (when I'm keeping my weight) and the lean gains eating style when I'm concentrating on gaining muscle mass.

About the Author:

No comments: