Meal frequency and size

“Eat six smaller meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism firing”
“It provides a constant stream of amino’s so you don’t go catabolic” 

Today we will be discussing why the above statements are moronic and if you hear anybody mutter them you should immediately punch them in their stupid mouth…Okay now I have your attention, I will actually be demonstrating why the above statements are incorrect and should not be adhered too unless convenient for you, however please note following one, two or all of these will have no effect on performance, results or anything else.

Basically both meal frequency and size should based around what is convenient for you and your lifestyle, consuming smaller meals more frequently provides no added benefit to consuming larger, infrequent meals. This whole idea is that smaller, frequent meals leads to the body always being in a state of metabolizing food, which uses energy and ensures your body always has adequate resources to stay “anabolic”. The energy used to metabolize food is known as the Thermal Effect of Food or TEF. Research has shown time and time again when caloric intake is the same over the course of a day, food can be consumed at any frequency and portion size and the TEF will remain the same. Now the notion staying “anabolic” is idiotic, your body is constantly switching between anabolic and catabolic states, even if you could control it via ensuring frequent fuel is available, your body takes longer to metabolize larger meals than smaller meals, so it would make more sense to eat larger meals.

Why? 

Because if you consume a larger meal, your body will use the same amount of energy metabolizing it, just over a longer period of time. If you were to consume several smaller meals your body would metabolize them quicker using the same TEF. So as per usual it comes down to overall calorie and macro-nutrient intake over a 24 hours period. The only thing you are achieving by consuming smaller, frequent meals is programming your body to release hunger hormones every few hours, if you are able to eat every few hours, no dramas, if you aren’t why are you doing this to yourself? You are getting no extra benefits. Food intake should fit in with your lifestyle, not dictate your lifestyle.