A(n) (Even) Closer Look At Protein

Last time I talked about protein properties, intake and protein sources.

You can check out the last post here if you missed it.

I want to take an even closer at protein intake today. This post is a little more technical than the others, but I will do my best to simplify and clearly explain everything.

These little nuggets of info apply more to those of you trying to get strong and optimize muscle growth. Stick with me even if those aren't your goals because you can still benefit from what I am about to share.

Maybe you've asked yourself one of the following questions:

How much protein do I need if I am lifting weights?

Do I need protein before or after a workout? Or Both?

What about my kidneys?

Can I build muscle eating plant protein?

I'll answer each of these and hopefully leave you with the information you need to perfect your protein intake.

What if I lift?

Last time I mentioned our tendency to believe more is better when it comes to protein, especially men. Unfortunately, this is not the case for protein intake.

Truth is, you don't need as much protein to reach optimal muscle protein synthesis (MPS) as you may think.

Just a refresher: MPS is the mechanism for muscle growth and is triggered by protein intake and resistance exercise.

1.5g/kg/day seems to be close to optimal for everyone. Male or female. Big or small.

Anything over that seems to result in little benefit, if any. Eventually your body will reach a plateau if you continue to up your protein intake. Eating more protein will increase the amount of available amino acids, but that doesn't mean your body is using them to build muscle.

I was reading some articles on Stronger By Science (a highly recommended health/fitness resource) and there are several studies that suggest 120g of protein per day is adequate for optimal muscle protein synthesis in most athletes.

I know... that sounds disappointingly low.

There was another study that suggests MPS response to protein is not impacted by lean body mass (Macaughton, 2016).

That means a larger person with more muscle mass may not need more protein than a smaller person. There may be no need for a weight based protein recommendation after all.

So, all you lifters, you probably don't need as much protein as you think to optimize muscle growth.

Does that mean a standardized protein recommendation would be more appropriate than a weight-weight based protein recommendation??

Maybe.

The same study I referenced above showed 20g of protein per meal achieved close to optimal results. Doubling it to 40g squeezed out another 10% increase in MPS (for all you overachievers out there).

The older population may want to push for closer to 30g/meal. More protein is needed to reach an optimal MPS response the older you get. But note I said "optimal" you can still make some gains eating less than 30g/meal.

What About Meal Timing?

Your overall protein intake over the course of a day is the most important thing to keep in mind. I don't stress too much about meal timing.

Muscle tissue is more sensitive to the food you eat post-workout and MPS is elevated for up to 48hrs. People talk about a magical post-workout window, but I wouldn't put much stock in it.

All that aside, it makes sense to eat after a workout since MPS and nutrient sensitivity are elevated after resistance training.

I have also read that pre-workout protein may increase human growth hormone (HGH) production during exercise. However, most of your HGH production occurs during sleep.

So eating before a workout could be beneficial, but I would also take that with a grain of salt.

Just focus on hitting your daily protein goal and eat a meal after lifting.

What About My Kidneys?

Let me preface by saying I am not a doctor and you may want to consult a specialist before manipulating your diet if you have a preexisting health condition.

I have heard people correlate a high protein diet with impaired kidney function.

But don't fret.

I have not discovered any evidence to suggest a high protein diet will cause healthy kidneys to fail or deteriorate.

Protein does require more effort by the kidneys to eliminate waste, which may negatively impact the health of someone who already has impaired kidney function.

One study I read a while back had healthy people eating over 200% and 300% the recommended daily allowance of protein for over a year. No one developed any markers for decreased kidney function.

Now, could eating an absurd amount of protein (say 400+ grams/day) cause you some problems?

Probably!

There is a limit to everything. Even too much water is bad for you.

So relax. Have a protein shake. Your kidneys will be fine.

What About Plant Protein?

Yes, you can eat a plant based diet and build muscle.

Take Torre Washington for example.

I personally eat a decent amount of both plant and animal protein.

Animal protein is considered higher quality protein because it has a higher essential amino acid content.

To rephrase it, you would have to eat more plant based protein to get the same amino acid content that you would get from a smaller animal protein source.

Lets say you're a vegetarian. You may want to eat on the higher end of the protein recommendation (1.8g/kg/day) to optimize muscle growth.

Animal protein is more anabolic, but you can largely compensate for this gap by eating more plant protein and adding variety to a plant-based diet.

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Main Take-Away's

-You don't need as much protein as you think to build muscle.

-1.5-1.8g/kg/day is plenty for optimal MPS and muscle growth.

-Weight-based recommendations maybe unnecessary. One large cohort study showed 120g was optimal for most athletes.

-30-40g per meal achieves optimal MPS.

-Meal timing is not a deal breaker, but a post-workout meal can optimize MPS.

-A sensible amount of protein won't cause your kidneys to burst.

-Animal protein is more anabolic, but you can still build muscle effectively eating plant based protein.

I know that was a lot, but thanks for hanging in there!

Now it's time to put all this information to use. Make your food work for YOU.