Protein intake amount...and timing

Vikka_V
Vikka_V Posts: 9,563 Member
edited September 2021 in Food and Nutrition
Hey people!

I have been concentrating on trying to up my protein (as a picky vegetarian (not important to my Q (at all!), just a rando fact I threw in there))

ok - my question...

do you think there is an upper/lower amount of protein that should/can be consumed and 'used' by your body per meal? If so, how much? I imagine it varies by body weight/composition - but a general gist?

And does spacing throughout the day matter? Or just the total for the day?

I'm confused on this topic, and several hours of googling hasn't helped! :)

Replies

  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,743 Member
    I don't have an answer but this is something I've completely wondered, too. I mean, with everyone and their different eating schedules, are some screwing themselves?

    I've heard the 30g per meal thing but what if you follow OMAD? Are you going to OD on protein? I'm kidding but you know what I mean. :)
  • fuzzylop_
    fuzzylop_ Posts: 100 Member
    edited September 2021
    When you say used, i'm going to assume you mean used for lean mass building. I don't think it's quite clear. Based on experimental acute data we know the amount of protein per feeding isn't fixed, but rather changes with lean body mass (as well as age). I know RP tends to favor having 4-7 protein feedings/day, although they did have a blog post from 2014 that estimated that this only accounted for 10% of body composition changes (https://www.facebook.com/RenaissancePeriodization/posts/dr-israetel-on-meal-frequency-and-the-timing-of-proteinin-the-future-many-of-my-/995697843780739/).

    There's also some IF research that doesn't show any lean mass differences between a compressed eating period and one more spread out. Make what you will of that.

    Some time ago, Jeff Nipard did a video summarizing the science at the time on this topic:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJpdPYedWjc

    RP's recommendations on meal timing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFySZ_rPXHE

    my take on all of this is if spreading your meals out is convenient, you should do it. However, if a more compressed eating schedule helps you with adherence, the downsides don't seem to be significant (even in the worst case).
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Vegetarians can throw a wrench into the "what do" of protien consumption.

    The reasoning is non carnivorous diets can mean less amounts of three of EAAs(essential amino acids). That being Leucine, iso leucine, and valine. These come robustly in a carnivorous diet not to much in a plant based diet. Without the presence of these 3 amino acid(Leucine being the big one) muscle protien synthesis cannot take place. If we don't have sufficient amounts in our diet we are less efficient at MPS.

    So in other words we might not be able to produce or retain muscle depending on the variables or at least as efficiently is concerned.

    We also are less efficient in general as we pass age 40 and/or are less male.

    So where I regularily recommend 1.6 g of protien per kilo of body weight...I might bump that up ever so slightly if we are less advantageous at peocessing protien.

    As for spacing protien throughout the day, in most cases I would not be concerned really. Concentrate on your caloric intake, then protien intake, the quality of protien and eat a well balanced diet throught yhe day.

    Good luck.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Here is a handy protein calculator based on research. As someone who is very picky about protein and doesn't like most animal sources of it, I sympathize.

    https://examine.com/nutrition/protein-intake-calculator/
  • fuzzylop_
    fuzzylop_ Posts: 100 Member
    edited September 2021
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Here is a handy protein calculator based on research. As someone who is very picky about protein and doesn't like most animal sources of it, I sympathize.

    https://examine.com/nutrition/protein-intake-calculator/

    If you're obese, a model some researchers and science communicators have suggested is to just base protein on your height (in cm) as well (suggested. by eric helms and others).
  • fuzzylop_
    fuzzylop_ Posts: 100 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Vegetarians can throw a wrench into the "what do" of protien consumption.

    The reasoning is non carnivorous diets can mean less amounts of three of EAAs(essential amino acids). That being Leucine, iso leucine, and valine. These come robustly in a carnivorous diet not to much in a plant based diet. Without the presence of these 3 amino acid(Leucine being the big one) muscle protien synthesis cannot take place. If we don't have sufficient amounts in our diet we are less efficient at MPS.

    So in other words we might not be able to produce or retain muscle depending on the variables or at least as efficiently is concerned.

    While it's certainly true that acute protein turnover studies have found that to be the case, it gets a little more complicated when testing results of resistance training on vegans, since multiple studies have found no differences. For example, this recent study replicated another relatively recent study: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-021-01434-9

    You're probably fine if you're consuming sufficient protein to maximize muscle protein synthesis.
  • Vikka_V
    Vikka_V Posts: 9,563 Member
    Thank-you everyone for your replies! I appreciate the opinions, references and dialogue!

    I have found ways to meet the daily protein nutritional goals I wanted, and I like them (bonus!), but then got confused reading about the 'max amount that can be utilized and timing' and stuff.

    Basically, If protein is my hardest nutritional 'goal' to meet, I worried that I don't want to 'waste' any of it by consuming too much in one sitting - and whether spreading it out time wise is more efficient for your body to use. Then started wondering if different body sizes, composition, and stuff play into the situation too (makes sense to me it would)

    I have a tendency to over think things sometimes, and get caught up in my head...I really appreciate all of you taking the time to respond! The 'real time' and non static conversation and opinions helped me think through the info I've been researching.

    Have a fantabulous Thursday (or whatever day) it is there, in your place on Earth!



  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    fuzzylop_ wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Vegetarians can throw a wrench into the "what do" of protien consumption.

    The reasoning is non carnivorous diets can mean less amounts of three of EAAs(essential amino acids). That being Leucine, iso leucine, and valine. These come robustly in a carnivorous diet not to much in a plant based diet. Without the presence of these 3 amino acid(Leucine being the big one) muscle protien synthesis cannot take place. If we don't have sufficient amounts in our diet we are less efficient at MPS.

    So in other words we might not be able to produce or retain muscle depending on the variables or at least as efficiently is concerned.

    While it's certainly true that acute protein turnover studies have found that to be the case, it gets a little more complicated when testing results of resistance training on vegans, since multiple studies have found no differences. For example, this recent study replicated another relatively recent study: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-021-01434-9

    You're probably fine if you're consuming sufficient protein to maximize muscle protein synthesis.


    Forvgive me if I'm off. I remember reading this study and I'm going off memory as I can't open the link right now.

    Again the variables I mentioned....

    Age. This study was young adults.

    How male: This study was on males only(I believe OP is female & we don't know how sensitive she is to training).

    EEAs: Whey for the carnivore(99.9% of whey sups have sufficient EEAs) & Soy for the vegs(how much leucine, iso leucine, & valine (I dont think they reported the EEAs). We know that veg suppliment has come a long way in recent years especially the higher quality(Soy) & lesser(pea). Assuming the stimulus was sufficient(which we should assume), I wouldn't say this is concrete. Only because in this study the EEAs were not reported "I think".

    If they used lower amounts of EAAs I would be very interested if you could point that out 👍 in this study or another.

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