Hunger Question

[cedubb02]

If your are hungry, at any given point in the day, does that mean catabolic hormones are at work??

[FitnessBrat]

It could mean you're accustomed to eating every x amount of hours. It could mean your metabolism is fast, depending on your diet. It could also easily mean you're dehydrated.

[redback]

It means you need to eat something

[cedubb02]

What I'm trying to get at is if a person feels hunger, does that mean hormones like cortisol are floating around breaking down amino acids and muscle??

[Scrumhalf]

I have not read that. Hunger is driven more by a lowering of leptin levels and an increase in ghrelin. I think it is more of a brain trigger than a signal that you are in a catabolic state. Anabolism and catabolism happen over longer time scaled, like 72 hours. That is why notions like starving muscles if you don't feed it protein every few hours is baloney.

[ROCKILLER]

I have not read that. Hunger is driven more by a lowering of leptin levels and an increase in ghrelin. I think it is more of a brain trigger than a signal that you are in a catabolic state. Anabolism and catabolism happen over longer time scaled, like 72 hours. That is why notions like starving muscles if you don't feed it protein every few hours is baloney.

So 6 meals a day is unnecessary? Or I can just eat all my protein for the day in one sitting?

[Bouncer]

this doesnt really answer the question but if you are really lean and you are hungry, then eat some carbs and protein, it will only serve to keep the metabolisem going and fill out the muscles.

if you are fat however and you are dieting, stay hungry. lol

[Scrumhalf]

So 6 meals a day is unnecessary? Or I can just eat all my protein for the day in one sitting?

Meal frequency only matters when you are not eating enough protein in the first place. That is, eating frequently may have a muscle sparing effect if you are undereating. If you are consuming enough protein each day (as most of us on this forum surely are), mean frequency has no effect on lean body mass.

Lyle McDonald makes this point quite well here:

Meal Frequency and Energy Balance | BodyRecomposition - The Home of Lyle McDonald


The notion that eating 6 meals a day is needed to "stoke the metabolic fire" is bro science.

Also, the notion that your body can only process 20-30g of protein per meal is also bogus. Here is a good Alan Aragon article on this issue:

Is there a limit to how much protein the body can use in a single meal? | Wannabebig

It is also the reason why you don't need to wake up in the middle of the night and pound down some protein to make sure your muscles don't waste away. They won't. It takes over 72 hours of starvation before muscle breakdown starts.

[cedubb02]

Ive have read though that when you wake up in the morning your body is in a catabolic state, is that not right? I thought you had to "break the fast"

[Scrumhalf]

Ive have read though that when you wake up in the morning your body is in a catabolic state, is that not right? I thought you had to "break the fast"

Bro science. As I indicate, the body needs to starve for something like 72 hours before it starts breaking down muscle. You're NOT going to start losing muscle because you haven't ingested any protein for 8 hours or whatever. You'll be fine if you skip breakfast. Have breakfast if you feel like having it. Skip it if you don't. As long as you hit your macros for the whole day, you'll be fine.

[Ashop]

If your are hungry, at any given point in the day, does that mean catabolic hormones are at work??

Eat a well balanced meal or replacement every 2.5-3 hours and you should never get hungry.

[Strong]

Hi dear,
I take food thrice a day after a proper duration, so I can't feel hungry at any given point of the day. If I feel hungry I can bear it.

[Bouncer]

thrice a day. :lmao:

where do you shitbags come from?