Interesting! Although, age wasn't the only factor here .. the study subjects were also malnourished or borderline at the outset. I wonder if the results would be similar for healthy, adequately nourished folks?

So I just did a search .. the same group who conducted the first study you quoted (Arnal, et al) repeated the pulsed-protein pattern in healthy young women (average 26 yrs). Result? .. no effect. "Protein Feeding Pattern Does Not Affect Protein Retention in Young Women" .. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/130/7/1700.long


*sigh* It's all one big fat gray area . In my own n=1 experiment, I have better hunger/appetite control and functional energy with 90 to 100g protein and fat intake roughly 60% than with 50g protein and 80% fat.

But that's just me, YMMV