I apologize if this is a frequent question but after looking at some threads and websites all the answers I get are varied between yes and no. I was wondering if there’s a maximum amount of protein that is absorbed in a meal that any after is just a waste of money?
Here’s a good Jeff Nippard video on the subject.
Basically - all protein gets absorbed, you’re not pooping out protein. Your body can only use a certain amount of it for muscle synthesis but the rest of it gets broken down and used for a variety of processes throughout the body.
This article might be interesting:
However, if you are only interested in protein that will be absorbed for use in building muscle, then “evidence shows the potential for competition at the intestinal wall”. What this means is that some of the protein may not end up being utilised by the muscle, but may instead be used for other processes like gluconeogenesis (in which protein is broken down into glucose for energy).
It is a very complicated topic however, as a protein heavy meal that requires more time to be broken down (like a steak) will be absorbed slower compared to a protein shake, for example. This may mean that there is a higher protein absorption ‘ceiling’ from a single meal than previously thought, depending on the protein source consumed.
This is a good article about it.
> “You can eat as much protein as you want in one sitting. There is a limit in how fast your body can absorb protein, but any excess protein will simply reside in your gut.”
Because the answer is yes and no simultaneously. Spreading your protein intake throughout the day with meals that promote high insulin release will result in slightly better gains. But the hassle for such a small increase is not worth for us like normal dudes, but very necessary for competitive bodybuilders who are on juice.
Consuming high amounts of any nutrient for a long period of time typically comes with risks. here is a great article about this topic.
Are There Risks Associated with Eating Too Much Protein?
It all gets absorbed (otherwise where would it go?) but it might not all get utilized for the same purpose. If you’ve just trained, you might utilize more of it for muscle protein synthesis than if you haven’t trained yet/recently, and the rest will be utilized either as an energy source (think TDEE rather than EAT), or for repairing/maintaining connective tissue.
If you eat one meal a day and have 100g protein at that mean (dear gods that’s a massive meal), your body will absorb 100g or protein, and it will be available for a while, and you’ll feel SUPER full, but you’ll only use as much as your muscles really need at that point in the day, which may mean you don’t get the full benefit of your resistance training. But it doesn’t get ‘wasted.’