Protein Question

[Caleb's Tree]

I'm sure this has been covered before, but I want to know what is the maximum amount of protein one can digest in one sitting.

I hear guys at the gym say, you can only digest 20-40. Others say 60.

Some say you can only digest 60 grams of protein in a 4 hour period. I don't believe that.

Are there any sources that can verify how much you can take in and at what intervals. I am trying to tweak my diet and get it better. I take around 225-250 grams of protein a day, and 44, 6 foot tall, and weigh 220, with 13% body fat.

 

[solrosenberg]

I'm sure this has been covered before, but I want to know what is the maximum amount of protein one can digest in one sitting.

I hear guys at the gym say, you can only digest 20-40. Others say 60.

Some say you can only digest 60 grams of protein in a 4 hour period. I don't believe that.

Are there any sources that can verify how much you can take in and at what intervals. I am trying to tweak my diet and get it better. I take around 225-250 grams of protein a day, and 44, 6 foot tall, and weigh 220, with 13% body fat.

You are about the same weight / height as me, and I am 41. I think about 50-60 gms is the most I would take at one time. Not sure the body can digest anymore.

 

[Caleb's Tree]

You are about the same weight / height as me, and I am 41. I think about 50-60 gms is the most I would take at one time. Not sure the body can digest anymore.

That's about what I do, no more than around 50 though. I was looking for some definitive provable answers. You google that and you get a billion different views on the subject.

 

[Tatyana]

That's about what I do, no more than around 50 though. I was looking for some definitive provable answers. You google that and you get a billion different views on the subject.

There is no definitive answer because of the variability in the effectiveness of people's digestive enzymes, amount of muscle, food and nutrient requirements.

Experiment on yourself.

For example, I know if I eat 120-150 g of steak and 2 eggs, it is too much protein, or the combo of the types of protein, I feel sick.

40-50 g of whey in 40 g of oats or 100 g of plain yogurt, not an issue for me.

I think it also depends on how many calories each of your meals are, as you also have to consider what other foods you will be eating with your protein.

 

[Jocques Straap]

According to the ACSM.....
....There is currently some disagreement over what the upper limit to protein intake is, but the bulk of the research suggests consuming no more than 1.8- 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram body weight per day....http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=9277 --Protein section, second to last page.

Because of protein’s relationship to lean body mass, protein requirements for athletes are formulated based on body weight. Most athletes need between 1.2-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (approximately 0.5- 0.75 grams per pound) for muscle repair and maintenance. For example, a
175-pound body builder lifting weights four to five days per week would require about 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram body weight, or about 111 grams of protein per day.


However, most of the people on this forum will disagree.

 

[crazyjoe]

According to the ACSM.....
....There is currently some disagreement over what the upper limit to protein intake is, but the bulk of the research suggests consuming no more than 1.8- 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram body weight per day....http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=9277 --Protein section, second to last page.

Because of protein’s relationship to lean body mass, protein requirements for athletes are formulated based on body weight. Most athletes need between 1.2-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (approximately 0.5- 0.75 grams per pound) for muscle repair and maintenance. For example, a
175-pound body builder lifting weights four to five days per week would require about 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram body weight, or about 111 grams of protein per day.


However, most of the people on this forum will disagree.

follow that advice and see what kind of gains you have made in about a year.

 

[Jocques Straap]

Like I said CrazyJoe, many people on this forum will disagree. However, that is what the American College of Sports Medicine says about your protein requirements. If you can't trust an organization like that, who can you trust to provide accurate information on the subject? Surely not the supplement companies, or the muscle magazines, or random people on the internet.

Personally, I feel that it's better to have a little extra than not enough. Therefore if you are getting 1g per lbs LEAN body mass per day you are getting plenty.