Absorbable protein?

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RachelsReboot
RachelsReboot Posts: 569 Member
in Food and Nutrition
How much protein can a normal person's body absorb at one time? If they were to have a protein shake before or after a workout does it make any difference on how much protein they are able to absorb?

I know I am not normal and please don't tell me to ask my doctor's because they aren't really much help when it comes to this stuff and the nutritionist they sent me to was a quack job and can't quite wrap her head around my needs.

I am very protein deficient, I am trying to eat high protein meals but am supplementing with powders to try and get my levels up. I've been using 2 scoops in my drinks instead of one but is this doing any good or am I just wasting it? Calories are not a concern for me I've got plenty to work with but I do have to watch carbs (primary CI) and sugars.

Thank you in advance for any info, many times you guys are more knowledgeable when it comes to this stuff than many of the physicians I've seen.
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Replies

  • PeggyWoodson
    PeggyWoodson Posts: 337 Member
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    I know what you mean about the doctors not knowing much about this stuff. Most don't unless they are bariatric physicians. I use the protein shakes and so does my daughter. Basically all you can go by is the numbers on the cans. Then try to get in your protein that way. How much protein is in the powder you have. Mine has 24 gms protein in 3 heaping tablespoons.
  • RachelsReboot
    RachelsReboot Posts: 569 Member
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    I know what you mean about the doctors not knowing much about this stuff. Most don't unless they are bariatric physicians. I use the protein shakes and so does my daughter. Basically all you can go by is the numbers on the cans. Then try to get in your protein that way. How much protein is in the powder you have. Mine has 24 gms protein in 3 heaping tablespoons.

    My insurance will not cover visits to my bariatric physician anymore since I am 8 years post-op and when I saw him last he didn't know what to do about my CI.
  • Phrak
    Phrak Posts: 353 Member
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    The body will utilize what it is provided. "At one time" doesnt apply to the body as it takes hours for it to digest. Just some proteins digest at a faster rate then others.
  • camid01
    camid01 Posts: 2
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    I have an 18 gram protein shake twice a day.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    The body will utilize what it is provided. "At one time" doesnt apply to the body as it takes hours for it to digest. Just some proteins digest at a faster rate then others.

    Agreed. The "at one time" mentality is a bit off the mark. Look at it in longer time frames - a day or 24 hour windows, that sort of thing. It takes the body longer than most people think to digest and metabolize food.

    And for comparison's sake, my protein powder has 60g of protein per serving. When I mix it with milk I end up between 70 and 75g. When I mix with milk, yogurt and peanut butter the number only gets bigger.

    All that said, from everything I've read/heard, there is a general believe that daily protein intake greater than roughly 1g per lb of lean body mass doesn't give any additional benefits to the average person. Clearly there is no magic number and everyone responds slightly differently to nutrition/exercise, but that 1g per lb of LBM seems to be the generally agreed upon threshold.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/533217-excess-protein
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    I've never heard this as an issue for food, necessarily. Yes, water is better sipped than chugged, but for nutrients my limited understanding is that the body absorbs it all and then expells what it doesn't need (vitamine c comes out in urine, excess iron shows up as grey spots on the eye, excess calcium can show up as imperfections on the nail, etc.). Solids digestion works a little differently than fluids because it takes longer and is (hopefully) expelled a little differently. The hope is that what goes in the top is high in nutrients and what comes out the bottom has been mashed and squeezed enough that it has no nutritional value and limited fluid left.
  • thatsnumberwang
    thatsnumberwang Posts: 398 Member
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    Some people will say "30 grams of protein at a time" is the max. Other (usually better-informed) people say that spacing it out a bit is better than not, but you don't need to worry about X amount in X hours.
  • illtemperedsebas
    illtemperedsebas Posts: 9
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    The debate on this is on going, in body building circle sky is the limit (up to 60 g). I have read reports from nutritionists that say only 30 g at on time. I try to stick to 30 g max from protein supplements at one time.
  • PeggyWoodson
    PeggyWoodson Posts: 337 Member
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    Some people will say "30 grams of protein at a time" is the max. Other (usually better-informed) people say that spacing it out a bit is better than not, but you don't need to worry about X amount in X hours.

    Totally agree!
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    It takes about 5-6 hours for the digestion process to complete (interesting that the "experts" say to eat every few hours - something high carb - to ensure you are burning sugar all day and not fat from fat storage). It takes about 1-2 hours for food to leave your stomach.

    It depends on the source of the protein and what you eat with it and what your body might need at that time. Excess protein can be coverted to glucose and fat. And your kidneys will also take care of excess protein by excretion.

    You will absorb more protein from animal meat than from whole grains. Whole grains (wheat) have defense mechanisms that protect their nutrients (they need those nutrients for growth). So the bioavailability of the protein is lower. And wheat is also missing one essential amino acids making them incomplete protein.
  • Phrak
    Phrak Posts: 353 Member
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    Some people will say "30 grams of protein at a time" is the max. Other (usually better-informed) people say that spacing it out a bit is better than not, but you don't need to worry about X amount in X hours.

    Totally agree!

    If we could only 30g per sitting, i would be severly protein deficient at the end of the day.

    A good article from a respected nutritonist:

    http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/is-there-a-limit-to-how-much-protein-the-body-can-use-in-a-single-meal/
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    As per anatomy and physiology, any more than 20-30 grams in one meal is not absorbed well into the body. It takes more time to process than it stays in your system! However, spacing out large amounts over larger periods of time is fine. If you're taking in 50 grams over the course of an hour, no problem! It's gulping it down really quick that tends to not get processed as well. The amount per day is not limited at all. How much each person can absorb "at one time" depends on the person, type of protein, and how often they consume large amounts of protein (as in your body adapts and can take more over time!).
  • akernel
    akernel Posts: 1
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    This link might help you. Also, WebMd says 1/3 of your meals should be protein, (35% of your calories) but needs to be increased for special cases. I know that proteins take longer for your body to break down which is why they are great for stabilizing blood glucose levels. Hope this link can answer your question.

    http://www.musclehack.com/how-much-protein-can-the-body-absorb-in-one-sitting/
  • Laura8603
    Laura8603 Posts: 590 Member
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    What type of protein are you consuming? Here is a good blog post by a fellow WLS peep that sums it up:

    http://pamtremble.blogspot.com/2009/04/protein-different-types-of-supplements.html
  • RachelsReboot
    RachelsReboot Posts: 569 Member
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    Mostly whey concentrate and egg white
  • rcramer7
    rcramer7 Posts: 138 Member
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    "protein from a whole food source digests pretty slowly, I’ll still be getting the benefit from that steak many hours from now. An educated guess for the rate for absorption here would be 4-5g per hour for the steak. However, couple it with the fibrous veggies and cheese I had with it and we’re probably talking around just 3-4g of protein per hour.
    A whey protein shake on an empty stomach will deliver your protein much faster at about 10g per hour"
  • Z_I_L_L_A
    Z_I_L_L_A Posts: 2,399 Member
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    "protein from a whole food source digests pretty slowly, I’ll still be getting the benefit from that steak many hours from now. An educated guess for the rate for absorption here would be 4-5g per hour for the steak. However, couple it with the fibrous veggies and cheese I had with it and we’re probably talking around just 3-4g of protein per hour.
    A whey protein shake on an empty stomach will deliver your protein much faster at about 10g per hour"

    So it would take 6 hours for me to digest my protein shake if it had 60 grams of protein it it? I f you weigh more and work out heavy for long period of time its gonna be different than a smaller person that works out less? Does it have anything to do with body size and workouts. If you can only absorb a certain amount then body size and workout intensity doesn't matter. So how can different people need different amounts if we all digest at the same rate? Just wondering....
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    Some people will say "30 grams of protein at a time" is the max. Other (usually better-informed) people say that spacing it out a bit is better than not, but you don't need to worry about X amount in X hours.

    Totally agree!

    If we could only 30g per sitting, i would be severly protein deficient at the end of the day.

    A good article from a respected nutritonist:

    http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/is-there-a-limit-to-how-much-protein-the-body-can-use-in-a-single-meal/

    ^ This is a great read and I trust the conclusion provided here. Basically, the limit is beyond what anyone would typically consume in a day.
  • rcramer7
    rcramer7 Posts: 138 Member
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    "protein from a whole food source digests pretty slowly, I’ll still be getting the benefit from that steak many hours from now. An educated guess for the rate for absorption here would be 4-5g per hour for the steak. However, couple it with the fibrous veggies and cheese I had with it and we’re probably talking around just 3-4g of protein per hour.
    A whey protein shake on an empty stomach will deliver your protein much faster at about 10g per hour"

    So it would take 6 hours for me to digest my protein shake if it had 60 grams of protein it it? I f you weigh more and work out heavy for long period of time its gonna be different than a smaller person that works out less? Does it have anything to do with body size and workouts. If you can only absorb a certain amount then body size and workout intensity doesn't matter. So how can different people need different amounts if we all digest at the same rate? Just wondering....

    Hey,

    When you workout you're not doing anything but tearing your body up. Aside from burning energy and moving stuff around, that's what you accomplish. Of course cardio is a little different you mainly burn energy. What protien you have and proccess in your body has little bearing untill afterwards when your body is fixing itself.

    That's when people differ. How much lean mass you have to maintain and how much damage you have to repair.

    Of course, if you have huge muscles you require more protien to support them. However, Mostly, the average human body functions in the same way. It has limitations and proccesses nutrients the same as everyone else.

    That's why, in my opinion, more than 30g at a time is optimal for whey. I always eat about 1-2 hours after I drink it. By the time my body is running out of whey I have already fed it real food(slower digesting) and it has already began proccessing it. By the time it is running low on that meal I have already fed it again. Before I go to bed I have a higher amount of protien( meat, slow digesting) and it lasts till morning when I have whey for breakfast and start all over.

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