Should you eat protein every 2-3 hours for muscle growth?

[anoopbal]

How often should you eat protein for muscle? It is said that you have to eat every 2-3 hours. What does the science say? Check this article please:

Should you eat protein every 2-3 hours for muscle growth?

 

[hvactech]

pretty generic article with no studies backing it up...NO you dont have to eat every few hours for muscle growth

 

[anoopbal]

Didn't you see the 2 references linked at the end?

 

[hvactech]

just saw them........still not convinced due to the fact that it would negate was has been proven by intermidate fasting

 

[anoopbal]

I am yet to see any studies on intermittent fasting combined with training. This might add to the evidence though.

Layne Norton uses this approach of eating every 5-6 hours based on this "muscle full effect" concept.

 

[hvactech]

what about successful warrior diet practitioners

 

[hvactech]

are you for the article or just basically posted it for others to read?

 

[MuscleGauge1]

pretty generic article with no studies backing it up...NO you dont have to eat every few hours for muscle growth

Agreed

 

[anoopbal]

what about successful warrior diet practitioners

Hey hvatech,

Every program and diet has their own successful examples. We need a study to compare this type of diet to diet where people who eat more and see who keeps the most muscle. This is the only way to know.

I am yet to see an article which shows the new concept of muscle-full effect. In fact, the recent was done in 2010. And I don't think in fasting this concept was the rationale or is used as a support to fast. Layne Norton wrote this a few years back, but he based it mainly on his rat study. I think it is a very interesting phenomenon.

 

[SMC USA]

Regardless of the diet or the training regime everyone responds differently .. more important is finding what works for you .. try one and keep track of the results .. maybe do bloodwork .. try another and see what happens .. personally I prefer the eating every couple hours but do intermittent fasting regularly and it works for me ..

 

[Rodja]

are you for the article or just basically posted it for others to read?

Considering he wrote it, I'd say he's for the article.

 

[Whacked]

This

Regardless of the diet or the training regime everyone responds differently .. more important is finding what works for you .. try one and keep track of the results .. try another and see what happens

 

[anoopbal]

Regardless of the diet or the training regime everyone responds differently .. more important is finding what works for you .. try one and keep track of the results .. maybe do bloodwork .. try another and see what happens .. personally I prefer the eating every couple hours but do intermittent fasting regularly and it works for me ..

This is a good point. This is called n=1 trial. Yep you can alternate 2 programs for 2-3 times and see which shows the greatest benefit and which is more easier. The only problem is that there could be problems with bias.

And sometimes you have to ask , when is eating 2-3 hours worth all the effort? So there is also feasibility aspect too. Maybe you will gain 1 lb more by eating 2-3 hours, but how important is 1 lb for you. Maybe this is huge for a bodybuilder. But for recreational lifter, it is worth nothing.

 

[hvactech]

maybe im coming off argumentative, i was just wondering if youre promoting the idea that eating every few hours is recommended for muscle retention or if you were giving out general information incase other people use this approach, i would love to be a "science rat" in this matter as it seems to be an ongoing debate..

 

[SMC USA]

You will find a huge thread about intermittent fasting in the nutrition section and a ton more about eating on a schedule .. it all boils down to getting enough calories to support your current goal .. only consensus you will get concerning diet around here .. you gotta feed muscle to get muscle .. how often, when and what is all debatable

 

[Aggravated]

It also boils down to what you're eating and how long your body takes to process it. Everyone is different.

 

[anoopbal]

maybe im coming off argumentative, i was just wondering if youre promoting the idea that eating every few hours is recommended for muscle retention or if you were giving out general information incase other people use this approach, i would love to be a "science rat" in this matter as it seems to be an ongoing debate..

The article is for people who eat every 2-3 hours or think they need to and for people who never heard about the muscle full effect. Have you heard about it before? It may not be needed and maybe even beneficial to eat every 4-5 hours.

Intermittent fasting I don't think ever used this rationale.The oral dose study came out in late 2010. Layne Norton used one of his rat study to come to the conclusion.

 

[DerickVonD]

I eat 2-3 times a day and maybe have some snacks and I still make decent gains.

 

[bla55]

The 2 - 3 hour approach is usually suggested by nutritionists because the average Joe doesn't really know his Macros, how many calories he needs, and usually does not have any self control, therefore if he is not eating every 2 hours, he gets really hungry and then binges and eats a whole lot of bad food and usually more quantity / calories than what his goal is.

For the IF approach, the great majority has a pretty darn good clue of what their targets are, many of us will count calories and macros to the T, and have self control when it comes to eating, knowing our portions and our goals, and therefore eliminating the psychological side of things, which causes people to overeat when not having a snack every other hour.

That is pretty much what it boils down to. There are different approaches but everything in the end is Calories in - calories out = result.

 

[ilovechoclate]

How often should you eat protein for muscle? It is said that you have to eat every 2-3 hours. What does the science say? Check this article please:

Should you eat protein every 2-3 hours for muscle growth?[/URL]

Without going into the debate on how frequently you should eat, the point is to continuously feed your body protein throughout the day. From the point you wake up till when you sleep. Depending on life style and time....you may not be able to eat every 2 or 3 hours....

...just focus on continually feeding your body good quality calories balanced through the day. Your body will do the rest

 

[Whacked]

At 240 and still gaining, your meals have to be pretty large ... no?

I eat 2-3 times a day and maybe have some snacks and I still make decent gains.

 

[soontobbeast]

i gained on 20 hour fasts while eating 2500 cals/d or less.


the key is time under tension. i was gaining strength every workout.

and i was smoking swisher sweet cigarillos every day

 

[DerickVonD]

At 240 and still gaining, your meals have to be pretty large ... no?

I meant strength and muscle mass, not fat mass. I'm trying to get rid of that. I'm 260 now.

 

[Whacked]

LOLOL errr huh

i was smoking swisher sweet cigarillos every day

 

[Whacked]

Got it

I meant strength and muscle mass, not fat mass. I'm trying to get rid of that. I'm 260 now.

 

[soontobbeast]

LOLOL errr huh

you don't have to tell me I'm crazy.

I know this.

However, i have cut out the swishers. that was easy. cutting out the pouches is harder.

cut those out too.

 

[Whacked]

hahaa atta boy

 

[ironkill]

Once I stopped stressing about the need to eat every 2-3 hours, I progressed at a much faster rate and with less fat gain during gain cycles. Not scientific, but a real world experience.

 

[Geoforce]

Once I stopped stressing about the need to eat every 2-3 hours, I progressed at a much faster rate and with less fat gain during gain cycles. Not scientific, but a real world experience.

That's because needing to eat protein every 2-3 hours is not supported scientifically. In fact, studies suggest this may be slightly counter-productive to your goals.

 

[Rodja]

That's because needing to eat protein every 2-3 hours is not supported scientifically. In fact, studies suggest this may be slightly counter-productive to your goals.

I think it bogs down the GI system and causes a lot of distention. There are some that can eat that frequently, but, for most, I advise against it.

 

[SMC USA]

Once I stopped stressing about the need to eat every 2-3 hours, I progressed at a much faster rate and with less fat gain during gain cycles. Not scientific, but a real world experience.

I eat when I am hungry ... sometimes its every two hours sometimes its 5 or 6 hours between meals ... the macros work themselves out once I decide what I need at the time . .. your body will tell you when and what to eat if you listen to it ,,..

 

[ironkill]

That's because needing to eat protein every 2-3 hours is not supported scientifically. In fact, studies suggest this may be slightly counter-productive to your goals.

Agreed completely

 

[J0e331]

i eat at the same times everyday, getting protein every 2-3 hours. seems to work for me

 

[Dr Zoidberg]

I love these discussions! Why? because they reveal two things that have always surprised me about health and fitness:

1. It is shocking how little we know about our own bodies, particularly metabolism and the endocrine system. There have been so many studies, but so few with concrete, absolute findings. This is a subject I enjoy researching and reading scientific articles on, and the only conclusion I have come to is we really dont know jack about the way our body works...

2. It is amazing how diverse people are. For years we have heard the preaching about eating every 2-3 hours, and obviously this works well for many. What is more amazing is the people who lead rough lifestyles, eating "dirty" meals once or twice a day, and are yoked as hell from the work they do. Really makes you wonder if we place too much emphasis on the what/when of nutrition and not enough on working out so intensely that our bodies have no choice but to do everything they can with the food they have.

To throw in some opinions which some might not like, I think lean gains / IF is not a miracle diet that was a genius invention, but rather telling people to eat the way their bodies wanted them to eat all along. Obviously this is only true for a certain number of people whose bodies happen to work this way, and these are the people who have had such great luck on LG. Personally I have never attempted to follow it, but my body definitely prefers to eat this way. I have no appetite whatsoever from the time I wake up to about 4 hours later. If I eat when I'm hungry, I end up eating nearly constantly from about noon till 8 pm, then fasting till noon the next day. When i did try a bulk eating every 2-3 hours, I did make some great gains, but I didn't feel very good for the entire cycle

anywho, just my $0.02

 

[Dr Zoidberg]

I eat when I am hungry ... sometimes its every two hours sometimes its 5 or 6 hours between meals ... the macros work themselves out once I decide what I need at the time . .. your body will tell you when and what to eat if you listen to it ,,..

Words of wisdom SMC, well said

 

[EasyEJL]

This is a good point. This is called n=1 trial. Yep you can alternate 2 programs for 2-3 times and see which shows the greatest benefit and which is more easier. The only problem is that there could be problems with bias.

And sometimes you have to ask , when is eating 2-3 hours worth all the effort? So there is also feasibility aspect too. Maybe you will gain 1 lb more by eating 2-3 hours, but how important is 1 lb for you. Maybe this is huge for a bodybuilder. But for recreational lifter, it is worth nothing.

this is probably the most relevant point. Forgetting about graphs of MPS + AA levels, what amount of real world lean mass gain difference is there between any of the strategies? If its only 1lb over 6 months, then do whatever fits your lifestyle and time availability best. I really haven't seen any good clean studies that show a significant difference in actaul lean mass in 12-16 week studies.

 

[MuscleGauge1]

^ Agree with the above.