How Much Protein Can Your Body Build Into Muscle Mass?

Have You Ever Wondered Why Every Scoop Measures Maximum 30g of Protein?

Our topic today is protein metabolism and how much protein can our body build into muscle mass. It is very common to hear or read that our body can only replenish 20-30 grams of protein per meal.

Is This True?

I am sure you have come across articles on this topic that tells us that if we take more than 20-30g of protein in one meal, we will only waste the excess because we cannot digest it. This is not true! For example, if we eat 300 g of protein, 300 g of protein will be processed.
But another question is how much of this 300g will be used. Before we dig deeper into this, we need to look at how protein metabolism works in our bodies.

Protein is broken down into amino acids in our bodies. So the protein is made up of amino acids. These amino acids are transported into the blood via amino acid transporters. These carry the amino acids. What you should know is that the number of these transporters is limited. This means that only a certain amount of amino acids can enter the bloodstream over a given period.

How much protein, or amino-acid derived from protein, gets into the blood in one hour, also depends on the type of protein.
For example, amino acids derived from whey protein have a protein content of about 10%. About 8-10 g can be delivered to the blood using amino acid transporters. This number is 6-6.1 g per hour for casein. For soy protein, approx. 3.4-4 g and about 2.9-3 g for boiled eggs. [1]
Thus, protein utilization is limited as the number of transporters carrying protein is also limited.

What Do Amino acids Do in Our Blood?

Their primary function is the construction and repair of tissues. Alternatively, our blood can store them for a short time shortly for later use. Third, they convert to glucose and nourish the brain and other organs.

When it comes to protein metabolism, it is also worth mentioning the need or need for a 2-3 hour meal.
Based on the above, you would think that if your body is only able to process 30g of protein per meal, you will need a meal every 2-3 hours to ensure the remaining protein. Well, that’s unnecessary.

You need to know that our body is a very smart and well-functioning system, so when it comes to slowing down our digestion it can provide a steady supply of amino acids and protein for up to 6-8 hours up to 16 hours. This is very good news for intermittent fasting.

Numerous studies have been done on protein processing and the result is that it does not necessarily matter how much protein we eat per meal, but how much we consume in one day. When investigating the subject’s protein synthesis, subjects who consumed 80% of their daily protein intake within one meal were compared with subjects who did the same with four meals. On this basis, no significant difference was found. [2]
So the point is not how much protein we eat in a meal, but whether one day we have enough to eat.

What Does Enough Protein Mean?

You already have the aforementioned 20-30 g. For example, in healthy men, 20 g of protein elicits a maximum degree of protein synthesis.
That means it is optimal, but it does not mean that it is exactly the amount we need. Rather, it means that this is the minimum we need. If you are wondering what are the most common mistakes you can commit about your nutrition: Click here!

It is important to emphasize that protein degradation and protein synthesis are very dependent on many factors. For example, muscle mass. The more muscular one is, the more protein your body needs. The same can be said for activity. The more active someone is, the more protein they need for normal and healthy functioning. And this is also influenced by individual hormone levels, which vary from person to person. [3]

In conclusion, no, it is not true that we can only digest 20-30 g of protein per meal. However much we can digest, its usefulness depends on a lot of factors and no one can say it for everyone because it depends on age, muscle mass, activity, and the individual’s hormone system.
There is no need for a meal every 2-3 hours, just as there may be fasters who want it periodically or eat every 5-6 hours. If one eats six times a day, no problem, if one eats twice or three times a day, that’s not a problem either.

We do not necessarily have to count the amount of protein we consume in a meal, but the amount that is optimal for us throughout the day.
So if one eats enough protein in a whole day cycle, one does not have to fear that catabolism will plague his body.

The approximate optimal amount of protein per meal is 20-30 g.

Instagram: @sabrina.at.gym

Sources:

[1] 8 of the Most Common Protein Shake Mistakes
[2] Limit protein to 20g per meal?
[3] How Much Protein from a Single Meal Can Your Body Use to Build Muscle Mass?