How much protein the body can absorb per meal?

I've been trying to get my head around this, and I'm getting different answers from people. Obviously there is a huge myth around the fact the body can only absorb 40g of protein every two hours. Now, I asked a friend of mine when he was drinking a whey shake straight after a meal which was after his workout "Surely your body can't absorb that much protein all at once? From the shake and your meal?"

He told me it was because the meal and shake consisted of different proteins, therefore the body could absorb all of it.

If this is true, would it be the same for a meal consisting of 40g of protein from something (for example, chicken), would the little amount of protein I'd get from rice be able to get absorbed too as it consists of different proteins?

See common myths:

[url]http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html[/url]

[url]http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/is-there-a-limit-to-how-much-protein-the-body-can-use-in-a-single-meal/[/url]

I wouldn't worry about, just eat enough throughout the day.

For instance I eat twice a day and get about 200g of protein.

It really doesn't matter as long as you split it up between two meals, many believe eating one meal and getting your recommended protein is not the most beneficial way. Our body's don't digest food right away though and can take up to 72 hours, so our body's metabolize the food over time and it isn't an issue.

There are no studies that can definitively prove how much protein at a give time is too much. But with that said there have been studies that showed positive results for those lifting weights while taking up to 1.4 grams per pound. (I havent seen any studies examining higher amounts then 1.4) By that amount and considering I have 6 meals per day that still leads to 40-45 grams per meal.

[QUOTE=SugarFree1;1010201103]There are no studies that can definitively prove how much protein at a give time is too much. But with that said there have been studies that showed positive results for those lifting weights while taking up to 1.4 grams per pound. (I havent seen any studies examining higher amounts then 1.4) By that amount and considering I have 6 meals per day that still leads to 40-45 grams per meal.[/QUOTE]

So say I'm 213 pounds, I'd need just under 300g of protein a day?

[QUOTE=Scotty_18;1010204253]So say I'm 213 pounds, I'd need just under 300g of protein a day?[/QUOTE]175 grams would surely be enough.



RE: protein absorption, please review the following.

[QUOTE=MakeABanana;864281471]A lot of people take for granted what the human body is capable. One can consume more than 30 g of protein in one sitting because of the intestinal braking system, the most significant of which is the ileal brake:

[video=youtube;4vhMPEent_k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vhMPEent_k[/video]

So the ileal brake controls the rate of how much food enters the small intestine so that absorption is maximized and food doesn't go to waste. In other words, it will slow down digestion essentially so that the small intestine can take its sweet time and absorb nutrients without being rushed into absorbing everything all at once. One study, showed maximum absorption rates to be as high as 10 g/hour for protein (for pure whey), although only a few proteins were measured. When you factor in a mixed diet and other sources of protein, you can expect lower rates of absorption such that it [i]seems[/i] that a lot of protein may indeed go to waste. However, that study does not take into account the fact that the gastrointestinal system can adapt to diet, meaning that amino acid absorption can improve when the GI tract exposed to higher protein loads. To sum it all up, your intestines take care of the possible issues and make it all work in the end.

If protein was not actually broken down, then it would not even be absorbed by the intestine. If large peptides did make it into systemic circulation, your immune system would react to it and you could possibly get a food allergy from that (and this can happen with a diseased gut). A healthy small intestine makes sure that only broken down protein (amino acids, dipeptides, and tripeptides) get absorbed. Any protein that is not broken down (certain proteins and chains that are not bioavailable, that is) is not absorbed either goes to the large intestine where bacteria will use it for its own consumption or gets pooped out. It will not be turned into fat for storage because it does not enter systemic circulation in the first place.

Hope that helps. My fingers are tired.[/QUOTE]

Protein has to be broken down by the body into amino acids to be used for repair and maintenance. There are limits as to just how much can be handled by the small intestines (where most of this is done). Different proteins are broken down at different rates. Whey being one of the fastest.(not recommended) Hemp is by far the superior choice. All in all your body can only utilize 8 to 15 grams per HOUR. Any more than that and your feeding the septic tank. Do not be duped into spending money uselessly. A 30 gram protein bar should be cut into thirds and one section consumed per hour. Read the recommended serving and break it down to 10 grams an hour. Your gains will be increased because you will not be overloading the digestive system/kidneys and your body will have a steady supply of protein all day. The ads want you to take in more so they can sell you more, is the bottom line and the RS reflects this.

[QUOTE=barnlofter;1128678903]Protein has to be broken down by the body into amino acids to be used for repair and maintenance. There are limits as to just how much can be handled by the small intestines (where most of this is done). Different proteins are broken down at different rates. Whey being one of the fastest.(not recommended) Hemp is by far the superior choice. All in all your body can only utilize 8 to 15 grams per HOUR. Any more than that and your feeding the septic tank. Do not be duped into spending money uselessly. A 30 gram protein bar should be cut into thirds and one section consumed per hour. Read the recommended serving and break it down to 10 grams an hour. Your gains will be increased because you will not be overloading the digestive system/kidneys and your body will have a steady supply of protein all day. The ads want you to take in more so they can sell you more, is the bottom line and the RS reflects this.[/QUOTE][B]What utter crap.[/B]

[QUOTE=barnlofter;1128678903]Protein has to be broken down by the body into amino acids to be used for repair and maintenance. There are limits as to just how much can be handled by the small intestines (where most of this is done). Different proteins are broken down at different rates. Whey being one of the fastest.(not recommended) Hemp is by far the superior choice. All in all your body can only utilize 8 to 15 grams per HOUR. Any more than that and your feeding the septic tank. Do not be duped into spending money uselessly. A 30 gram protein bar should be cut into thirds and one section consumed per hour. Read the recommended serving and break it down to 10 grams an hour. Your gains will be increased because you will not be overloading the digestive system/kidneys and your body will have a steady supply of protein all day. The ads want you to take in more so they can sell you more, is the bottom line and the RS reflects this.[/QUOTE]

This is not true at all.

[QUOTE=barnlofter;1128678903]Protein has to be broken down by the body into amino acids to be used for repair and maintenance. There are limits as to just how much can be handled by the small intestines (where most of this is done). Different proteins are broken down at different rates. Whey being one of the fastest.(not recommended) Hemp is by far the superior choice. All in all your body can only utilize 8 to 15 grams per HOUR. Any more than that and your feeding the septic tank. Do not be duped into spending money uselessly. A 30 gram protein bar should be cut into thirds and one section consumed per hour. Read the recommended serving and break it down to 10 grams an hour. Your gains will be increased because you will not be overloading the digestive system/kidneys and your body will have a steady supply of protein all day. The ads want you to take in more so they can sell you more, is the bottom line and the RS reflects this.[/QUOTE]

So...no we have to eat 24 times a day?

[QUOTE=BGoodman88;1128683943]So...no we have to eat 24 times a day?[/QUOTE]

You're the lucky one. You can get away with only eating 9-17 times a day./sarcasm

No wonder noobs get so confused when it comes to nutrition. So much awful information out there. If what barnlofter says is correct then I have made gains on basically ingesting 32-60 grams of protein a day. Crazy that my body has got more muscular with the 23 pound increase in weight!

No one can give you an exact amount. Personally I spread it out just for ease of digestion

[QUOTE=barnlofter;1128678903]A 30 gram protein bar should be cut into thirds and one section consumed per hour.[/QUOTE]

[img]http://31.media.tumblr.com/b30da8726527766d1f6b7e3778c70286/tumblr_mj5823ohgL1ru74s4o1_500.jpg[/img]