How Much Protein Can Your Body Digest in One Sitting?

Protein metabolism is affected by numerous factors, such as age, exercise, and energy status. The issue becomes more complicated with differences in gut microbial nitrogen metabolism. This article will clarify how much protein your body can consume each meal.

How Does Protein Consumption Work?

Proteins are made up of amino acids. These nitrogen-containing compounds act as intermediates and chemical messengers in your metabolic pathways. Amino acids connect using peptide bonds to create larger molecules. These include enzymes, cellular proteins, and peptide hormones.

When you consume protein, digestive enzymes in your gastrointestinal tract split the peptide bonds. This creates free-form amino acids along with smaller peptide fragments. The new molecules are then absorbed by the intestines and used by the liver, pancreas, and spleen splanchnic tissues.

Amino acids and peptides not absorbed in the small intestine are used for gut microbial metabolism.

How Much Protein Can Your Body Take in One Sitting?

No research indicates your body can absorb up to 50 grams of protein per meal. The body can absorb large amounts of protein in one sitting. However, it takes a longer time to assimilate.

In truth, protein absorption is different from protein utilization. When you consume excess protein, it does not mean extra muscle protein synthesis. This is the addition of amino acids to bound skeleton muscle proteins. As the amount of essential amino acids in the meal increases, more energy gets released from protein molecules.

Protein Absorption Is Not the Same as Muscle Protein Synthesis

It appears that your muscle protein synthesis is completed after consuming 20-35 grams of complete protein. This includes whey protein isolate or chicken breast. As such, consuming more protein beyond 35 grams will give you less protein synthesis.

What Happens to Excess Amino Acids after Eating a High-Protein Meal?

Excess amino acids from surplus protein intake can lead to de novo lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis. In most cases, excess amino acids are oxidized for energy or sent to the liver for gluconeogenesis. However, this depends on your body’s immediate demands.

Can You Consume “Too Much” Protein?

Even if muscle gain is your top priority, eating tons of protein is not always good. While a high-protein diet optimizes your acute anabolic responses to resistance training, it will not lead to greater muscle growth.

For the best results, you only need to take 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. This will help you build muscle effectively and improve body composition.

Conclusion

Protein consumption has benefits, but you need to do it correctly. Before increasing your protein intake, consult your doctor to know the recommended amount for your body.