Following a dietary plan of six instead of three meals a day keeps your blood sugar level more steady, so it does not drop too low or rise too high. Maintaining your blood sugar or blood glucose level in a healthy range enhances your metabolism throughout the day, enabling you to complete daily tasks with vigor, increasing the rate at which you burn calories.
Pre-Exercise Energy
Consuming three meals per day increases the likelihood you will begin your exercise session hungry, with your blood sugar at a low level. For instance, if you eat one lunch around noon, generally your second meal of the day, you would not have much energy for an optimal, calorie-burning or muscle-building workout in the evening. On the other hand, if you followed a six-meal-a-day plan and had a small meal around noon and another meal around 3 p.m., your blood sugar level would be more stable, providing you with more energy for your workout. A six-meal plan usually includes two small breakfasts, two small lunches and two small dinners.
Post-Exercise Refueling
Eating within 30 minutes of every exercise session enables your muscles to maximally replenish the glucose you used during your workout. Consuming another meal two hours after your post-workout meal further enhances post-exercise recovery and replenishment. If you exercise in the middle of the day, sometime after lunch, and wait a few hours until dinner to eat, your muscles will be ill-prepared to effectively perform during your next workout. By following a six-meal plan, you can schedule one meal immediately after an afternoon workout instead of waiting for dinner.
Optimal Hormone Production
Cortisol is a hormone with many roles including breaking down body fat. When you are exercising, cortisol is produced in higher quantities to transport body fat to your working muscle cells. However, if you are simply eating a large, high-calorie meal, as in one of your three-meals-a-day, cortisol is produced in large quantities as well, but transports the fat from under your skin to deep within your abdominal cavity. This increases your risk of chronic diseases including abdominal obesity, heart disease and diabetes, according to a 2005 article by Christine Maglione-Garves, and colleagues, published in "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal." Incorporating a six-meal-a-day plan into your routine decreases the magnitude of cortisol production and, therefore, decreases your risk of chronic disease.
Managing Your Meals
Planning your meals on a weekly and monthly basis can help you practice and maintain a plan of six small meals per day. A small meal may be 1 apple, ¼ cup of unsalted nuts and 1 cup of skim milk. Or, you may eat 1 small sweet potato, 3 oz. of chicken breast, 1 cup of steamed broccoli and 1 orange. Instead of eating a foot-long sandwich for one meal, cut it in half for two meals; enjoy each half with a side of fruit, two to three hours apart. Essentially, you are eating about the same amount of calories per day, but dividing your intake among six smaller meals compared to three large meals.
References
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; New Concepts for Weight Control and Hydration; Dan Benardot, Ph.D., L.D.; July/August 2007
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Protein for Sports -- New Data and New Recommendations; Tim Ziegenfuss, Ph.D., et al; February 2010
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Cortisol Connection: Tips on Managing Stress and Weight; Christine Maglione-Garves, et al.; September/October 2005
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