How Much Protein Is Too Much

This post isn't about whether you should take protein supplements or not, it is about the ideal amount you should take. So read on to find out how much protein is too much?

How much is too much? Understanding protein absorption helps understand how much protein supplements you need

With the big business that the protein supplement industry is worldwide, you begin to wonder if the recommended intake on the package label is the amount you should ideally be taking.

The short answer is: you don’t need any more proteins than the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) mention (56g/day for men & 46g/day for women). But, read on to know why I’ve said this.

Note: I am not a trained nutritionist. I don't have any experience in professional fitness or bodybuilding. I have just read up the articles I could find and have tried paraphrasing the information contained. This post is not meant to be taken as advise, just a starting point for your own research.

Protein Digestion & Protein Needs

Proteins are broken down into amino-acids which are then pumped into your bloodstream. Everybody knows this.

They are then used by your muscles to repair and grow, a process called muscle protein synthesis.

Amino-acids repair your muscles (and some may even be stored in your muscles for use in the near-future), while any excess is converted into glucose, the standard fuel for the body derived from carbs, usually.

The amino acids that the proteins are broken down into are absorbed by the body quite fast. However, there is only a small window available during which the protein shake you drank can be actually pumped into your bloodstream after it’s broken down.

Anabolism & Catabolism

Anabolism is the state of positive nitrogen balance in your body.

That is, when there are more amino-acids in your bloodstream (and thus reaching your muscles) than the amount being broken down and used it's Anabolism.

Catabolism occurs when this situation is reversed -- and it leads to muscle breakdown. That's why, your trainer tells you eat up. It's to constantly maintain a state which allows your muscles to grow (anabolism!).

Conflicting Studies

A study published on NCBI states that taking more than 30 g of proteins in a meal doesn’t add up to an increase in the amount of proteins available to your muscles.

However, there's another study on the publishing platform which states that this limit is not practical since protein breakdown is also a reality which is constantly in motion.

So, this means that ingesting approx. 30g of proteins will amount to comparable amounts of proteins in your bloodstream than ingesting any more.

Also, this lesser amount of proteins is digested in a more efficiently manner by the body, i.e. the body doesn’t waste energy processing more food to deliver less nutrients into your bloodstream.

But, this might not be an accurate baseline if you want more proteins in your bloodstream than your body needs in the first place (which is known as anabolism, remember?).

Conclusion

So, you don’t need to ingest more proteins all at once.

However, protein levels will start falling after about 4 hours post meals (which is when proteins in your bloodstream peak).

So, if you have a meal once every 4 hours then 30g of proteins per meal could be sufficient for most people.

Having more in a single meal (especially in a thick liquid form) might not really.

Even though it is not practical to state any upper-limits to protein intake, it is clear that staggering your protein intake into two equal halves closer together, could be better for your body (and your wallet) than one big protein shake all at once.

To summarise, don't get carried away while topping up your after-workout protein shake.

Space out your nutrition in a way which you're comfortable with. Found this helpful? Tell me what you think in the comment below.