Protein Absorption

jess7386

I've heard conflicting things about this, and I'm wondering if anyone can provide some clarity for me.

I try to eat a relatively high-protein (about 150 grams a day), lower-carb (less than 100 grams a day) diet. As a result of this, I usually end up eating a lot of protein in one sitting (e.g. 7-8oz of chicken). I've heard that your body can only absorb a certain amount of protein in one sitting, and the rest is stored as fat.

Is there a magic number that I should be aiming to eat per meal? I'm not sure if I am over-eating in terms of protein and if so, if this could be impeding weight loss. Further, if I AM eating too much protein, I'm not sure how to get the calories in that are necessary (I tend to balloon when eating refined carbs). Should I be eating smaller & more frequent meals (even though that's more of a pain)?

If someone can explain HOW the body works in terms of protein absorption that would probably clear things up for me. If it helps, my goals are to drop about 50 lbs & then work on packing on some muscle. I am currently lifting and doing cardio about 5 days a week.

Thanks in advance!

ilovedeadlifts

There is no magic number.
If you want to eat a pound of steak, it will get used.

your body doesn't just say, "alright there's 45 grams of protein, shut down muscle synthesis, lets start storing fat now".

neanderthin

There is no magic number.
If you want to eat a pound of steak, it will get used.

your body doesn't just say, "alright there's 45 grams of protein, shut down muscle synthesis, lets start storing fat now".

This.

That is a myth based on a study taken out of context, which is how most myths start.

ItsCasey

There was a study released about a month ago that debunks the myth of eating too much protein in one meal.

PDF of the full text here: http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/0261-5614/PIIS026156141200266X.pdf

Summary:

Several recent publications indicate that the maximum stimulation of muscle protein fractional synthetic rate occurs with intake of 20-30 g protein. This finding has led to the concept that there is a maximal anabolic response to protein intake with a meal, and that the normal amount of protein eaten with dinner will generally exceed the maximally-effective intake of protein.

However, protein breakdown has not been taken into account when evaluating the anabolic response to protein intake. Protein anabolism occurs only when protein synthesis exceeds protein breakdown. Higher protein intakes when protein synthesis is maximized is characterized by suppressed protein breakdown and via that mechanism leads to a greater anabolic response. This explains why when net protein synthesis is measured, the relationship between amino acid availability and net gain remains
linear, without any apparent plateau of effect at higher levels of availability.

We conclude that there is no practical upper limit to the anabolic response to protein or amino acid intake in the context of a meal.