Protein shake and digestion?

Novileigh

Hello! I tried to google this to no avail, hoping someone here can help me. I'd like to use protein powder as a snack/meal replacement, but I'd prefer to put it in extra water and drink it over a period of hours, rather than quickly drinking it all. Does that put extra stress on the digestive system since I'd be constantly feeding it, or is it okay?

RodaRose

Drink whatever way suits you.
The timing of the protein powder, snack, or meal makes no difference.

Ultima_Morpha

Although it is going to vary by individual, there are guidelines which indicate that you can't process more than a certain amount of protein at a time. If those have any basis in fact, drinking a protein shake over a longer period of time may help ensure that your body utilizes it more completely.

sijomial

Ultima_Morpha wrote: »

Although it is going to vary by individual, there are guidelines which indicate that you can't process more than a certain amount of protein at a time. If those have any basis in fact, drinking a protein shake over a longer period of time may help ensure that your body utilizes it more completely.

@Ultima_Morpha
Some basis in fact is a great way of putting it. But all it really means is if you exceed that rate of processing it gets processed later.

A good read....
https://examine.com/nutrition/how-much-protein-can-i-eat-in-one-sitting/

SymbolismNZ

Protein distribution throughout the day will mean you're more likely to synthesise more of it; a lot of literature suggests that our bodies can only really use 30-50g of protein in any 3-5 hour period regardless of the exercise we perform.

sijomial wrote: »

@Ultima_Morpha
Some basis in fact is a great way of putting it. But all it really means is if you exceed that rate of processing it gets processed later.

Not quite; there is no "storing protein" for the muscles to use later; as above, anything more than 30-50g within a 3 hour period will not be fuel your muscles nor convert into the BCAA (amino acids) that act as a nutrient to repairing your muscles (and in turn helping them grow) - the excess protein will actually go through a gluconeogenesis process and turn into extra glucose within your system which while providing an additional energy source to you, will have no benefits towards hypertrophy

It's why out of the three macro nutrients, your body can actually live without carbohydrates because it's able to convert ingested fat and ingested protein into glucose.

Fuzzipeg

I wonder if the shake is "kept" for a while, hours at room temperature (sat on your desk, table or similar) in the made up form, could it be more inclined to go "off", degrade, attract bacteria, discolour. The only comparison I'm able to make is with baby milk, make up and chill, use as required within time period. But these are are very different products. Would you do better to make up a part meal in a more dilute form and drink as comfortable over an hour at the longest. I did use something like that many, many years ago (20-30) and they were rather thick and frothy back then, not refreshing, I suppose that is not their point.

sijomial

SymbolismNZ wrote: »

Protein distribution throughout the day will mean you're more likely to synthesise more of it; a lot of literature suggests that our bodies can only really use 30-50g of protein in any 3-5 hour period regardless of the exercise we perform.

sijomial wrote: »

@Ultima_Morpha
Some basis in fact is a great way of putting it. But all it really means is if you exceed that rate of processing it gets processed later.

Not quite; there is no "storing protein" for the muscles to use later; as above, anything more than 30-50g within a 3 hour period will not be fuel your muscles nor convert into the BCAA (amino acids) that act as a nutrient to repairing your muscles (and in turn helping them grow) - the excess protein will actually go through a gluconeogenesis process and turn into extra glucose within your system which while providing an additional energy source to you, will have no benefits towards hypertrophy

It's why out of the three macro nutrients, your body can actually live without carbohydrates because it's able to convert ingested fat and ingested protein into glucose.

Have a read of the article I linked in my edit.

SymbolismNZ

sijomial wrote: »

Have a read of the article I linked in my edit.

I did; it's broscience.

Here is an actual research paper looking into how much protein your body can absorb and process in one sitting, which is around 30g ( other research indicates between 30g and 50g within 3 to 6 hours )

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026125543.htm

The UTMB researchers tested this possibility by feeding 17 young and 17 elderly volunteers identical 4- or 12-ounce portions of lean beef. Using blood samples and thigh muscle biopsies, they then determined the subjects' muscle protein synthesis rates following each of the meals.

"In young and old adults, we saw that 12 ounces gave exactly the same increase in muscle protein synthesis as 4 ounces," Paddon-Jones says. "This suggests that at around 30 grams of protein per meal, maybe a little less, muscle protein synthesis hits an upper ceiling. I think this has a lot of application for how we design meals and make menu recommendations for both young and older adults."

Here is another article that talks about the benefits of protein distribution, and why the traditional "heavy protein" meal at the end of the day won't give you the same effect if you broke down 20g of protein across each meal.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140520133218.htm?trendmd-shared=0

When study volunteers consumed the evenly distributed protein meals, their 24-hour muscle protein synthesis was 25 percent greater than subjects who ate according to the skewed protein distribution pattern. This result was not altered by several days of habituation to either protein distribution pattern.

sijomial

SymbolismNZ wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

Have a read of the article I linked in my edit.

I did; it's broscience.

Here is an actual research paper looking into how much protein your body can absorb and process in one sitting, which is around 30g ( other research indicates between 30g and 50g within 3 to 6 hours )

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026125543.htm

The UTMB researchers tested this possibility by feeding 17 young and 17 elderly volunteers identical 4- or 12-ounce portions of lean beef. Using blood samples and thigh muscle biopsies, they then determined the subjects' muscle protein synthesis rates following each of the meals.

"In young and old adults, we saw that 12 ounces gave exactly the same increase in muscle protein synthesis as 4 ounces," Paddon-Jones says. "This suggests that at around 30 grams of protein per meal, maybe a little less, muscle protein synthesis hits an upper ceiling. I think this has a lot of application for how we design meals and make menu recommendations for both young and older adults."

Here is another article that talks about the benefits of protein distribution, and why the traditional "heavy protein" meal at the end of the day won't give you the same effect if you broke down 20g of protein across each meal.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140520133218.htm?trendmd-shared=0

When study volunteers consumed the evenly distributed protein meals, their 24-hour muscle protein synthesis was 25 percent greater than subjects who ate according to the skewed protein distribution pattern. This result was not altered by several days of habituation to either protein distribution pattern.

Scroll to the bottom of the examine.com article to see the study references which don't agree with you.....
BTW, that's a first for me to see someone dismiss examine.com as bro science!

Anyway I'm done, believe what you will.

SymbolismNZ

None of those studies actually focused their research on the absorption rate of protein to BCAA, nor the max serving size of protein, which is why I called it broscience - it wrote an article referencing a bunch of research journals that didn't actually conclude with the same point (Because they were researching completely different outcomes)

trigden1991

It's fine to do that but as it is a dairy product I would be inclined to refrigerate it or add ice cubes to keep the temperature down over prolonged periods.

If you have ever left a bit of a protein shake in a shaker at room temperature for a day or 2, you will know why........