It's not uncommon to hear people claim that only 30 grams of protein can be absorbed in one meal.
But as popular as this "truth" is, there's no solid data to back it up as a fact!
A common question asked by lifters and the health concious is: how much protein can be absorbed in one meal?
So let's take a look at the data and endeavour to get some sort of answer!
Protein Absorption
Currently, there's no known maximum amount of protein that can be absorbed. But what we do know is that it's certainly a lot more than 30 grams!
This study gave two subject groups their protein intake across 1 meal or 3 meals, with no differences in lean mass (1). Some subjects consumed around 80-100 grams and absorption was no issue.
Moreover, another study done into women with around 41 kilograms of lean muscle mass, saw them receive more than 54 grams of protein in one meal (or across 4) with no difference (2).
FIT'N'FLEXED Fast Facts: Protein
- After consuming protein, a digestive hormone called CCK (Cholecystokinin) gets to work.
- CCK slows down the contractions within our intestines and the speed in response to our ingested protein, to ensure MORE of the present protein is absorbed! (3,4).
- Thank your small intestine for a lot of your gains - it's here where around 95% of protein is absorbed! (5).
So regardless of what some people may say, you CAN indeed absorb more than 30 grams of protein in one meal.
But if for whatever reason you are to consume more than 30 grams of protein, you can rest assured you'll be able to absorb more than the 30 grams!
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References
(1) Stote KS, et al A controlled trial of reduced meal frequency without caloric restriction in healthy, normal-weight, middle-aged adults. Am J Clin Nutr. (2007)
(2) Arnal MA, et al Protein feeding pattern does not affect protein retention in young women. J Nutr. (2000)
(3) Storr M, et al Endogenous CCK depresses contractile activity within the ascending myenteric reflex pathway of rat ileum. Neuropharmacology. (2003)
(4) Geraedts MC, et al Direct induction of CCK and GLP-1 release from murine endocrine cells by intact dietary proteins. Mol Nutr Food Res. (2011)
(5) Ten Have GA, et al. Absorption kinetics of amino acids, peptides, and intact proteins. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. (2007)
Author
Dayne Hudson