Individuals who deviate the most from even energy balance throughout the day (calories in – calories out) had the highest body fat regardless of whether they were surpluses or deficits. The reason for higher body fat levels is related to blood sugar fluctuations. With delayed eating, blood sugar drops and muscle tissue is converted to glucose by the liver.
Although this process stabilizes blood sugar, it does so at the cost of the lean muscle mass i.e. muscle catabolism. In addition, the combination of low blood sugar and large meals is associated with hyperinsulinemia, which encourages the manufacture of fat. So, delayed eating followed by an excessively large meal, which is typical of the athletic eating paradigm, can lower muscle mass and increase fat mass – exactly what athletes do not want to do.
More frequent eating can reduce the size of within-day energy deficits and surpluses and help to stabilize blood sugar. Additionally, more frequent meals can increase calories burned to support digestion, absorption, and metabolism of food i.e. the thermogenic effect of food.
Source: Benardot, D. (2012). Advanced Sports Nutrition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
