Increasing Meal Frequency in Isoenergetic Conditions Does Not Affect Body Composition Change and Appetite During Weight Gain in Japanese Athletes

Abstract

For athletes to gain body mass, especially muscle, an increase in energy consumption is necessary. To increase their energy intake, many athletes consume more meals, including supplementary meals or snacks. However, the influence of meal frequency on changes in body composition and appetite is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of meal frequency on changes in body composition and appetite during weight gain in athletes through a well-controlled dietary intervention. Ten male collegiate rowers with weight gain goals were included in this study. The subjects were randomly classified into two groups, and dietary intervention was implemented using a crossover method. During the intervention period, all subjects were provided identical meals aimed to provide a positive energy balance. The meals were consumed at a frequency of either three times (regular frequency) or six times (high frequency) a day. Body composition was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and the visual analog scale was used for the evaluation of appetite. In both trials, body weight, fat-free mass, and fat mass significantly increased; however, an interaction (Trial × Time) was not observed. Visual analog scale did not vary between trials. Our data suggest that partitioning identical excess dietary intakes over three or six meals does not influence changes in body composition or appetite during weight gain in athletes.

Weight Gain Recommendations for Athletes and Military Personnel: a Critical Review of the Evidence

“…Individually prescribed hypercaloric meal plans and counseling resulted in successful short-and long-term gains in both TBM and LBM. Two studies in male Japanese collegiate light-weight wrestlers, who were provided all meals and ~1000 [19] or ~1400 kcal [20] of surplus energy daily [20] for 8 [20] to 12 weeks [19] during their regular training observed significant increases in both TBM and LBM, that were independent of meal and snack consumption frequency [20]. While athletes in the former study participated in RET four days per week, such specifics were not mentioned in the latter studies.…”

“…While these recommendations seem reasonable, there is limited data to support their effectiveness, particularly among athletes. Concern over an athletes ability to increase food volume without promoting early satiety [22] or causing gastrointestinal distress [1,20] have been previously [1] and recently [22] expressed, particularly when training occurs in close proximity to eating [1] or when a large volume of the same food is consumed [31]. Thus, increasing eating frequency to 5 to 9 meals/snacks per day is commonly recommended [1,3,7].…”

“…Thus, increasing eating frequency to 5 to 9 meals/snacks per day is commonly recommended [1,3,7]. In a recent cross-over study, Taguchi et al [20] addressed the potential benefit of meal frequency on appetite and body mass gain. In this study, 10 Japanese collegiate rowers were provided identical hypercaloric diets as three or six meals per day for 8-weeks each.…”

“…Possible thermogenic responses include increased resting or diet induced thermogenesis [22], increased spontaneous physical activity ("fidgeting" [3] or decreased metabolic efficiency. Suppressed appetite and inadvertent reduction of typical food intake may have accounted for smaller than predicted gains in the studies of Kreider et al [16], Rozenek et al [17]and Spillane and Willoughby [18], that had participants incorporate liquid supplements on top of their normal diet [16][17][18], but less likely a concern in the better-controlled studies of Bartels et al [15]Nagasawa et al [56] and Taguchi et al [20] of that more-carefully monitored intake [15,19,20]. In the study of Bartels et al [15], for example, meals were consumed under supervision and regularly adjusted to provide sufficient energy to promote a 0.45 kg weekly gain in TBM.…”

“…Despite this, average increase in TBM was only 0.4 kg per week. Unfortunately, only one of the previous studies measured appetite [20] and none evaluated adaptive thermogenesis.…”