Feb
How Much Protein Can You Absorb In a Meal
Grab your plate of food with body hands. Got it? Now throw it up in the air, catching all of the food on the plate in your mouth. Do not chew the food but instead swallow it all with one-large-gulp. This impossible task is the only way to determine how much protein you (personally) can digest at a time. This article will speak to specifically to protein consumption, but remember this visual example for all of the macronutrients.
It is an irrelevant question to ask “how much protein can we digest”. There are many variables that changes the amount of protein you can digest at one time. Even the definition of total meal time will change from one person to the next.
Digestion Vs. Protein Synthesis
When some ask how much protein they can digest at a time, they are intending to ask the more scientific question of “how much protein is enough for maximum muscle protein synthesis”. When answering the question of how much protein can you digest in a meal, we will cover the topic of the right amount of protein for optimal protein synthesis.
Do you perform cardiovascular exercise?
Our metabolism is an important consideration in protein intake. Our natural metabolic rate as well as the increases experienced during cardiovascular exercise requires amino acids to function and repair. The increased caloric expenditure during cardio stimulates our metabolic needs for food energy. While the predominant fuel is carbohydrates you will also need increased protein as well. So if you need more protein if you run, bike, hike, or perform any other cardio activity.
Do you perform resistance exercises?
Resistance exercise not only increases our metabolic rate but it also causes protein breakdown. Once the muscle fibers have finished with the trauma of the workout, they need amino acids so that the muscle tissue can recover. Resistance exercise increases the body’s need for protein from essential amino acid rich sources. This increased demand means you will can digest and need more protein at a single sitting than those who do not lift weights. It is important to remember your body asks for what it needs.The body is primed to receive protein because it needs to receive protein. It is a simple fact that many people miss.
What kind of protein are you consuming?
Certain proteins hold a higher BV ratio than others. BV stands for biological value. Choosing low BV as your primary source of protein will limit your body’s ability to use amino acids for their intended purpose. The body is smart and when we do not have sufficient amino acids for what the body needs it will adjust and find the source elsewhere. Unfortunately, the cost to this adjustment might be stored protein breakdown and body fat storage. Eating foods that are higher on the BV ratio, such as eggs, milk, and whey protein powder, are better used by the body for repair and recovery.
Essential amino acid rich foods such as whey protein will encourage greater protein synthesis in a meal. Therefore, you require less protein when choosing a high BV protein supplement or food type as your protein source. This occurs because your body is receiving the amino acids it needs to recover from both daily living and exercise induced muscle protein breakdown.
The higher on the BV ratio, the less total protein we will need. This is important for people who lift weights while following a plant-based diet. If that is you, eat at least 10% more protein than animal-based diets because of the lower BV ratio unless you are taking special considerations into essential amino acid supplementation. If you cannot increase your protein content then you will need to reduce the frequency of your resistance exercise to accomadate for needing more recovery time.
How do you prepare your food?
Our ability to digest protein can increase or decrease based upon how we prepare our food. Blending food helps to break down foods into a more digestible form. Heating our foods can also make digestion easier. There is a catch, however, as overheating can degrade the quality of the food, including proteins.
Protein powder makes a good example. If you purchase a powder, heated during processing, you risk digesting less than you would with a cold-processed protein. There are many variables with food preparation and it does not mean we should blend and brea down everything we eat. There is a metabolic benefit to chewing and breaking down foods.
How many times are you chewing?
Our ability to digest food also depends on how well we chew our food. Some people chew and eat slowly while others take a few chews and swallow quickly. This changes our ability to digest food and lower rates of protein synthesis. Pay close attention and you may notice that those who eat quickly and chew less are overweight. Those who chew sufficiently without rushing through their meal manage weight better.
Our inability to digest food properly is one of many reasons why a lack of chewing leads to an increased risk of being overweight or obese. Chewing protein properly will take longer to finish leading to less grams digested in a given minute. There may be a dual increase in protein digestion since we are eating the same amount of protein over a longer period of time and making the amino acids more readily available.
When was your last meal?
We all have differences in the timing of our meals. Some eat smaller meals more frequently while others eat heavy meals less often. For many years there was the suggestion that smaller meals were better. However, thinking historically, the approach was different 1,000 years ago when food was not as easily preserved nor readily available we thought. We would never kill an animal, prepare it for dinner, then stop at 30 grams of protein out of fear that we would not digest the food. Also, there did not seem to be an obesity epidemic caused by high calorie/protein meals.
Our ancestors would never push away a meal because of how much our body could digest at a sitting. Instead, we would eat as much as we could consume just before the point of getting sick. It may have been 24-hours since the last meal and it may be 24-hours before they would eat again. It is not accurate to assume that the body cannot respond and adjust to a more fasted state. Of course we can increase our ability to digest protein to meet even the most extreme of demands.
Intermittent Fasting
This popular diet shows that you can both effectively burn fat and build muscle with a limited amount of meals per day. Where some go wrong with this diet is holding to the belief that protein digestion, is a one size fits all answer of what the body can “absorb” in a single meal.
In those who are diabetic (insulin resistant) this type of nutrition strategy is more effective for fat loss and helps them become more insulin sensitive. Being insulin sensitive allows for a more primed environment for protein synthesis.
What is your Body Weight?
Telling a one hundred pound woman and a two hundred pound man that they should eat the same amount of protein doesn’t make sense. This should be self explanatory but the total weight is an immediate factor in how much protein we need in a day. This also is a factor into how much we can digest in a single sitting.
How much muscle do you have?
A male with 30% body fat and another with 10% body fat who weigh the same will have different protein needs. Just as with differing body-weight, the more muscle we have requires more protein in a day. The more protein in a day, the more protein at a sitting. Simple math.
Have you been thinking a lot?
Your brain is a muscle. Just like a set of curls the brain burns calories and requires recovery. While glucose may be the primary fuel source for the brain, increased cognitive demands will also increase our need for protein.
Have you ever felt mentally fatigued, consumed a whey protein shake, and felt better an hour later? If not, this is a common statement made by those who drink protein shakes. You need to refuel the mental demands and If you have a profession that requires brain power.
Other Theories Where We Need More Research
There are more questions about protein digestion that are reaching a conclusive answer, but we need more research to solidify their theories.
- How do macronutrient ratios affect protein digestion?
- How does the state of our gut bacteria impact protein absorption?
- Can we digest more protein with a slower protein absorption rate?
- What are the effects of your fat mass on your daily protein demands?
Something for you to chew on (pun intended)
I cannot give you the exact answer of how much protein you personally can digest in a sitting. I can, however, tell you that setting a false limitation is a bad idea. Most reading this article will live out their days in the following way:
Keep a busy schedule
Have responsibilities that require heavy thinking
Perform cardio and resistance exercise
If this is you, consuming over 25-30 grams of protein at a time is not an unlikely possibility. Your lifestyle may require more protein in a sitting even if you choose high BV sources and chew your food intentionally.
ISSN General Recommendations
If you are looking for an average to go off of then look to the ISSN, which is a trusted source for nutrition information related to those who exercise regularly. With many caveats the ISSN makes a generalized 4-meal per day recommendation of .4 grams of protein for every kg of body weight. For the two hundred pound male this would equate to 36 grams of protein per meal or 144 grams per day.
Here is a statement from the ISSN showing that this is not a maximum protein recommendation.
“However, 1.6 g/kg/day should not be viewed as an ironclad or universal limit beyond which protein intake will be either wasted or used for physiological demands aside from muscle growth. A recent meta-analysis on protein supplementation involving resistance trainees reported an upper 95% confidence interval (CI) of 2.2 g/kg/day.”
Practical Real-World Example
In the example of a 150lb woman, she would consume at the very least 109 grams of protein to meet her rigorous training schedule. She would then require approximately 27 grams of protein over four meals. The thought of trying to eat more times in the day with her busy schedule is an immediate stressor. Consuming a meal every 4 hours is manageable both for her time but also her energy needs.
If you are a grazer, this strategy works well. If you prefer to devour food at a single sitting, then do not feel guilty eating 54 grams of protein at a time but only eating twice per day. The ultimate outcome will be nearly the same. Meeting the protein needs we require sustaining our health and fitness goals is the main objective.
When asking the question of “how much protein can you digest in a meal” remember that it all depends. If you still feel confused then you may want to consider working with a certified nutritionist who specializes in performance nutrition.
Whey protein isolate is an essential amino acid rich protein source that will encourage a high rate of protein absorption. Use our whey protein isolate with resistance training to increase your chances of building muscle mass.
