While cutting, the way in which you go about distributing your calories will matter.
This can have a huge impact on adherence and a smaller (but still meaningful) impact on you physiologically.
From a physiological standpoint, two things matter:
1) Your carb timing
2) The number of protein-based feedings you get (and the resultant uptick in muscle protein synthesis)
Generally speaking, it's best to consume a nice chunk of your carbs in the pre-workout window and it's best to get at least three protein based feedings spread somewhat evenly throughout the day.
All of that said, the MOST IMPORTANT THING is dietary adherence. If you get your carb timing correct and you get 3-5 protein based feedings in throughout the day but this results in you consuming more calories than you're supposed to in order to achieve your net daily/weekly deficit...you fucked up.
NEVER sacrifice real, practical dietary adherence for theoretical carb timing/protein feeding optimization. Doing so would be EXTREMELY silly.
My advice to you is this:
Spread your calories across 3-5 feedings per day with protein relatively even at each feeding.
EXPERIMENT to find out what works best for YOU specifically.
That could end up being 5 smaller feedings spread across a 14 hour window with 40% of your carbs consumed pre-workout.
OR
That could end up being 3 larger feedings spread across a 10 hour window with 60% of your carbs consumed pre-workout.
OR
That could end up being 4 feedings (2 smaller, 2 larger) spread across a 12 hour window with 50% of your carbs consumed pre-workout.
Ultimately, you're going to have to play around with it to find out what workouts best, again, for YOU.
While in the experimentation phase, make sure you give whichever option you're attempting a fair crack. Don't do something for one day and then decide "this isn't for me." Give it a full week or two or three!
You can even move back and forth depending on the day of the week! (Ex: Monday-Friday you stick with three larger feedings each day whereas on weekends you go with five smaller feedings each day.)
The beauty of this approach is, if done correctly, you will have a dietary strategy that suits your exact needs/wants/schedule/etc.
There really are no rules insofar as you adhere to the overarching, not-overly-restrictive rule of "spread your calories across 3-5 feedings per day with protein relatively even at each feeding."
This can have a huge impact on adherence and a smaller (but still meaningful) impact on you physiologically.
From a physiological standpoint, two things matter:
1) Your carb timing
2) The number of protein-based feedings you get (and the resultant uptick in muscle protein synthesis)
Generally speaking, it's best to consume a nice chunk of your carbs in the pre-workout window and it's best to get at least three protein based feedings spread somewhat evenly throughout the day.
All of that said, the MOST IMPORTANT THING is dietary adherence. If you get your carb timing correct and you get 3-5 protein based feedings in throughout the day but this results in you consuming more calories than you're supposed to in order to achieve your net daily/weekly deficit...you fucked up.
NEVER sacrifice real, practical dietary adherence for theoretical carb timing/protein feeding optimization. Doing so would be EXTREMELY silly.
My advice to you is this:
Spread your calories across 3-5 feedings per day with protein relatively even at each feeding.
EXPERIMENT to find out what works best for YOU specifically.
That could end up being 5 smaller feedings spread across a 14 hour window with 40% of your carbs consumed pre-workout.
OR
That could end up being 3 larger feedings spread across a 10 hour window with 60% of your carbs consumed pre-workout.
OR
That could end up being 4 feedings (2 smaller, 2 larger) spread across a 12 hour window with 50% of your carbs consumed pre-workout.
Ultimately, you're going to have to play around with it to find out what workouts best, again, for YOU.
While in the experimentation phase, make sure you give whichever option you're attempting a fair crack. Don't do something for one day and then decide "this isn't for me." Give it a full week or two or three!
You can even move back and forth depending on the day of the week! (Ex: Monday-Friday you stick with three larger feedings each day whereas on weekends you go with five smaller feedings each day.)
The beauty of this approach is, if done correctly, you will have a dietary strategy that suits your exact needs/wants/schedule/etc.
There really are no rules insofar as you adhere to the overarching, not-overly-restrictive rule of "spread your calories across 3-5 feedings per day with protein relatively even at each feeding."
