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Posted by u/zone2nerd路路Progress

Has anyone tracked protein timing every 2 hrs vs every 5 hrs? Results after 4 weeks.

TL;DR: Tried protein timing every 2 hrs vs every 5 hrs for 8 weeks. Feeling better on 5-hr meals, curious about others' experiences.

I've been obsessed with my protein intake lately, trying to dial in the perfect timing for muscle recovery and performance. Over the past 8 weeks, I switched between two different protein timing strategies: every 2 hours vs every 5 hours. I tracked my macros meticulously, aiming for around 160g of protein daily with a split of 40% carbs, 30% fats, and 30% protein.

During the first 4 weeks (2-hour window), my average protein intake per meal was about 20g. I felt pretty energized throughout my daily runs, but there were days when I felt slightly bloated due to the constant eating. In contrast, during the 5-hour window (next 4 weeks), I focused on larger meals, hitting around 40g of protein per sitting. Interestingly, my recovery felt improved, and I noticed less bloating overall.

So, my question is, has anyone else experienced similar outcomes with these different timing approaches? Any insights on which method might be more effective long-term? I'm curious to hear your experiences!

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u/runninglateagain路

Honestly, I tried tracking protein every 2 hours once and I felt like a walking snack machine. Like, I was constantly hungry for my next meal. It was exhausting! 馃槀

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u/creatine_supremacy路

I think you nailed it with the 5-hour window. I've been powerlifting for years, and I usually eat 2-3 larger meals a day, hitting around 50g of protein per meal. My PRs keep climbing, and I feel fuller and less bloated. Might not be the trendy thing, but it works. Just saying.

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u/zone2nerd路

I had a similar experience when I switched my meal frequency. During a phase where I aimed for smaller, frequent meals, I noticed my energy levels fluctuated more. Switching to bigger meals every 5 hours helped stabilize my energy for long runs, especially during my marathon prep. I was able to hit my long runs without crashing, which was huge for my training data.

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u/rpe_skeptic路

Protein timing is kinda overrated if you're hitting your daily total. I'm more about just getting those macros in, man. This whole every 2 hours thing seems like a lot of unnecessary stress.

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u/depressedlifter路

I tried the constant eating thing too. Honestly, my anxiety shot up from planning meals every 2 hours. I ended up with a serious case of the bloats. Switched to 3 solid meals with decent protein, and my workouts improved. I still track everything manually, keeps me grounded, but damn if I'm not happier with my eating habits now.

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