Abstract
Previous research studies suggest that consuming multiple small meals per day may increase insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), whereas less frequent meals may reduce circulating IGF-1 levels. However, limited evidence exists regarding the effects of extremely low meal frequencies, such as one meal a day (OMAD) or two meals a day (2MAD), particularly in physically active individuals. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the impact of meal frequency on serum IGF-1 levels in physically active adults. In a cross-over study, 11 physically active participants consumed a high protein meal in two different frequencies in two testing sessions. In the first session, the participants consumed a single meal of 800 Kcal as OMAD, while in second session participants consumed 800 Kcal at two time points (i.e., 400 each). Anthropometric measurements were recorded using standard procedures. Fasting and post-prandial blood samples were collected for 12 hours in both sessions. Results show that from the Baseline (t = 0 min) to the time point 180-min, the mean serum IGF-1 levels for 2MAD were slightly higher compared to OMAD. However, mean serum IGF-1 area under the curve (AUC)(0-720min) was significantly higher (p = 0.046) for OMAD than for two meals a day. Furthermore, correlation analysis conducted during both sessions revealed a significant association between body weight and the serum IGF-1 response. In conclusion, meal frequency had a modest but statistically significant impact on IGF-1 levels postprandially in physically active individuals. These findings suggest that consuming high-protein meal OMAD led to significant rise in IGF-1 levels compared to 2MAD in physically active individuals. However, the difference is minimal with limited statistical significance. Therefore, further research is warranted.
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