Protein absorption in one sitting

the_big_johnson

Does anyone on here have an EDUCATED idea on how much protein an active weightlifter would be able to absorb in one sitting (No gear/skittles)? I have heard varying opinions ranging from 30g - infinite. My understanding is that your body will use all it can, but the rest is wasted. I need high protein, so I am trying to figure out how to break it up (currently have to break it up in 8 sittings).

senecarr

http://examine.com/faq/how-much-protein-can-i-eat-in-one-sitting

If we assume the final goal is health, you can consume a fair amount per sitting as the gut will tend to slow down absorption and feast happily on the amino acids. No study has looked at the 'maximal' amount that can be consumed though, as 'health' is hard to define accurately.

The same notion applies to building muscle and losing fat, which want amino acids floating around in the blood (systemic circulation) rather than hopping between the intestines and liver (portal circulation). The body will tend to slow down absorption in response to how much you eat, as the presence of amino acids can self-regulate their own digestion.

The body likes to adapt in response to stresses, and is pretty good at it. There isn't a single number which is the answer here, as the body tends to try and preserve all amino acids. How effective it is at this is individual.

In a study done on women, consumption of more than 54g of protein in a single meal versus across four meals resulted in no differences.[25] As these women had on average 90 lb of lean mass, it is highly plausible that more protein could be efficiently processed. The same researchers found that a single high protein meal was actually more effective in a population of elderly women.[26]

Research done on Intermittent Fasting supports the theory that your body can cope with far more protein than most people think, with two studies showing that the consumption of an average of 80-100g of protein in 4 hours yielded no differences in lean mass[27][28]

That being said, since fecal losses of protein and short-chain peptides tend to smell incredibly bad one can use a 'sniff-test' after bowel movements to assess if protein is being lost in the feces and thus not taken up by either the intestines or the muscle.

usmcmp

the_big_johnson wrote: »

Does anyone on here have an EDUCATED idea on how much protein an active weightlifter would be able to absorb in one sitting (No gear/skittles)? I have heard varying opinions ranging from 30g - infinite. My understanding is that your body will use all it can, but the rest is wasted. I need high protein, so I am trying to figure out how to break it up (currently have to break it up in 8 sittings).

8 meals per day? Why?

Check out this, especially the nutrient timing and protein sections: http://www.jissn.com/content/11/1/20

EvanKeel

Do you mean absorbed or utilized, and for what purpose? Those are different concepts.

EDIT: a google search for "protein timing" and "Layne Norton" should yield some sort informative results.

DopeItUp

If you puke, you probably ate too much.

Other than that I would not sweat it. I regularly get 100+ in a meal, sometimes more. 30 is barely even an appetizer.

the_big_johnson

EvanKeel wrote: »

Do you mean absorbed or utilized, and for what purpose? Those are different concepts.

EDIT: a google search for "protein timing" and "Layne Norton" should yield some sort informative results.

I have always been under the impression that the human body can only UTILIZE 30 grams of protein at once. I am in the process of cutting down (potentially for my first show) and need to keep muscle gains with the protein. I was also under the impression that protein did not store like carbs or fat, so any excess protein is wasted; hence the insane number of meals.

usmcmp wrote: »

the_big_johnson wrote: »

Does anyone on here have an EDUCATED idea on how much protein an active weightlifter would be able to absorb in one sitting (No gear/skittles)? I have heard varying opinions ranging from 30g - infinite. My understanding is that your body will use all it can, but the rest is wasted. I need high protein, so I am trying to figure out how to break it up (currently have to break it up in 8 sittings).

8 meals per day? Why?

Check out this, especially the nutrient timing and protein sections: http://www.jissn.com/content/11/1/20

Still reading this beast of an article! Slow read for sure. The amount of protein that I am taking may be a tad bit high, but the timing part is confusing based on all of the contradictory information. I am taking protein pre and post workout thought which seems to be the main point.

the_big_johnson

usmcmp wrote: »

the_big_johnson wrote: »

Does anyone on here have an EDUCATED idea on how much protein an active weightlifter would be able to absorb in one sitting (No gear/skittles)? I have heard varying opinions ranging from 30g - infinite. My understanding is that your body will use all it can, but the rest is wasted. I need high protein, so I am trying to figure out how to break it up (currently have to break it up in 8 sittings).

8 meals per day? Why?

Check out this, especially the nutrient timing and protein sections: http://www.jissn.com/content/11/1/20

OK, got to it. Meal Frequency section was very interesting. Looks like the whole "several meals a day thing" is just and urban legend. It seems that there are 4 studies that disprove it. So I guess I just need to slam the protein in however I can (as long as pre and post workout are done properly). Great read!

senecarr

Evolution wise, I'm having a hard time seeing the 30 grams per meal real making sense.
You're a hungry savannah hunter, always one step away from starvation, haven't eaten for days. Oh look, you caught a very lean rabbit, almost no fat on him. Go to eat it, still starving, everything past 30 grams just went nowhere.

Michael190lbs

I ate over a 100 grams for breakfast and try to get around 200 grams a day sometimes 3 meals sometimes 6 it all depends on my day..

the_big_johnson

My life just got so much easier All of this time believing lies from people who probably don't even lift! I think I may cry when I eat my 12 oz. of chicken today and realize how easy this really is. No more sideways looks from coworkers when I eat every 2 1/2 hours. Thank you all.

j75j75

Watch

https://youtu.be/mjmV8BlsJTQ