Optimal Meal Frequency
We all know that food is our main source of energy and it is necessary for us to eat regularly to stay healthy, but how often should we eat to get the most out of evey meal we consume?
If you only eat 2 large meals throughout the day, then your body is going to think that you are in famine conditions. Your body will store excess fat so that when the food runs low you will be able to live longer without starving.
Your body is also incapable of processing large amounts of vitamins or minerals at one time. If you only eat a couple of large meals, then most of the nutrients that you consume are going to leave your body through waste rather than being absorbed into your blood.
Now consider somebody who eats every 3 or 4 hours rather than every 6 or 8 hours. Instead of storing excess fat, their metabolism is revved up throughout the day. In fact, this person is going to burn more calories than somebody who only eats a few times, even if they eat the exact same amount of food and have the exact same level of physical exertion. This person’s body is going to absorb more of the nutrients from their food as well because they are spread out between different meals. This can help with weight loss.
No matter how many meals that you eat, your day should always begin with breakfast.
Breakfast does not need to be very large to get your metabolism moving. Breakfast is a signal to your body to begin moving again and to come out of its state of hibernation that you put it in while you were sleeping. A common trait amongst people who maintain a healthy weight and dieters that lose pounds and keep them off is that they all eat breakfast.
When it comes to running training or any other kind of workout, you need to think in terms of fuel. You should never try to work out on a completely empty stomach. Your workout is going to suffer if you do not have the energy to put in the correct effort.
Maintaining a steady pace throughout a long run or reaching the correct speed during an interval session all depends upon the amount of available fuel in your body that your muscles can convert into energy. If you do not have enough fuel, then you are going to suffer from cramps and fatigue and your workout is going to suffer.