Pjm. Weijs et al., MEAL FREQUENCY AND DIURNAL LEUCINE OXIDATION IN MATURE RATS, Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition, 74(3), 1995, pp. 131-136
The hypothesis that meal frequency influences diurnal leucine oxidatio
n, and thus leucine utilization for protein metabolism, in mature rats
was studied. Therefore rats were conditioned on a liquid feed (40 mi
Nutrison/day) for 6 days. In a cross-over design, either two meals of
20 mi (2 x 20; 0 and 5 h) or five meals of 8 mi (5 x 8; 0, 2, 4, 6, an
d 8 h) were offered within a 10-h feeding period. On day 7, rats were
subjected to a constant infusion of L-[1-C-14]leucine combined with a
(CO2)-C-14 breath test, covering both the postabsorptive and feeding p
eriods. The 5 x 8 regimen resulted in a higher (CO2)-C-14 output durin
g the postabsorptive period (p < 0.05). Ingestion of either meal profo
undly increased (CO2)-C-14 output. The subsequent pattern of (CO2)-C-1
4 output was clearly reflecting meal frequency and size. Possible cons
equences of an increase in the number of meals during the feeding peri
od for amino-acid utilization are discussed.