ABSTRACT
Nutrient or meal timing has become an extremely popular topic not only for competitive athletes, but also for weekend warriors and individuals hoping to lose weight. While it has become clearer through years of scientic inquiry that taking advantage of various hormonal and metabolic environments may allow recreationally and competitively active individuals to optimize their training and enhance their recovery, this response for the general population interested in weight loss and body composition is less conclusive. It has been shown in studies utilizing athletic populations that nutrient timing may positively affect body composition and help modulate responses seen while restricting caloric intake. In addition to beneting athletic performance and other athletic attributes, improving body composition in overweight, obese, and otherwise metabolically challenged
16.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 273 16.2 Energy Balance (Basics of Fat and Weight Loss) ......................................... 274 16.3 Meal Frequency ............................................................................................ 275
16.3.1 The Theory ....................................................................................... 275 16.3.2 Favorable Studies .............................................................................. 276 16.3.3 Opposing Studies .............................................................................. 278 16.3.4 Varied Meal Patterns ........................................................................280
16.4 Meal Type/Metabolic Cost ...........................................................................280 16.4.1 Protein ...............................................................................................280 16.4.2 Carbohydrates ................................................................................... 282
16.5 Time of Day ..................................................................................................284 16.5.1 Breakfast ...........................................................................................284 16.5.2 Evening .............................................................................................286
16.6 Conclusions and Recommendations .............................................................287
