Does eating protein more often make you stronger?

Original Title

Effects of daily protein intake frequency during 8 weeks of resistance training on lean mass and strength adaptations: a randomized non-controlled clinical trial.

Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms

Summary

Two groups of guys lifted weights and ate the same total amount of protein every day, but one group ate it in three meals and the other in five meals.

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Surprising Findings

Only 18 of 32 participants completed the study, yet results showed no difference between groups despite high dropout.

High dropout rates usually weaken results, but even with only 56% completion and unexplained attrition, the findings remained consistent—suggesting the effect (or lack thereof) is robust.

Practical Takeaways

If you're hitting your daily protein target (e.g., 1.6–2.2 g/kg), you don’t need to plan 5 protein-rich meals—3 larger meals work just as well.

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47%
Moderate QualityOverall Score

Publication

Journal

The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness

Year

2025

Authors

H. Tavares, H. Roschel, Vitória Felício, Álvaro Nobrega, Victoria Hevia-Larraín, L. Gonçalves, Tércio Ar Barros, A. Costa, E. Nascimento