# FITNESS and NUTRITION FORUM > SUPPLEMENTS >  how much protein can the body absorb at once?

## jg42058p

how much protein can the body absorb at once?

I heard that its only around 25 grams at a time...
any more than that turns to sh!t

is that true?

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## Iced696

It is more than 25 grams. However, there are some variables when it comes to protein uptake. One being the source of protein. I try to keep it right around 30-40 grams per meal. I find that any more than this tends to give me digestive problems. I do know however that if you were to ask 10 different doctors you would get 10 completely different answers based on their degree of ignorance. The reason I say this is because I find that most doctors are still in the stone age when it comes to sports nutrition. Most people will tell you that the ratio is around 1-1.5 grams per pound of body weight per day. That said, if your body could only process 25 grams at a time and you were a 200 pound guy you would have to eat 8 meals a day to get to that 200 gram mark. Just imagine how many times a day you would have to eat if only 25 Grams were true and you weighed over 250 and were sticking to the 1.5 rule! I would stick to 30-40 a meal as a rule and if you're anything like me, your body will thank you for it.

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## ray0414

i was taught in my college anatomy class that the human body can only digest 8-10 grams of protein per hour..but i find it hard to believe.

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## tjpatrick1987

i have seen this question a million times on this board and the answer is its all based on you lifestyle average about 50g a meal......if your working out like your suppose to your body will eat every ounce of protein.....

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## RATTLEHEAD

its about 1 gram per pound you weigh.

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## Iced696

> i was taught in my college anatomy class that the human body can only digest 8-10 grams of protein per hour..but i find it hard to believe.


I was told the same thing, by a college professor that weighed about 120 soaking wet.

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## TranscriptionFactor

Listen to the pro's, not 120lb'ers:

Enlightenment
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2s...ar-pt1_extreme

somewhere in this multipart series he covers it. Milos says for the past 20yrs he's had 500gm protein per day.

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## DSM4Life



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## Edgar

Milos also says if you intake the protein in more servings instead of 6 a day its even better.

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## Reed

this is very person dependent. It could range from 15-60 grams per meal depending on the person's height weight, drugs being used, physical level, etc

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## RATTLEHEAD

if you consume 500 grams of protein your liver/kidneys will hate you. thats just false. the easiest way to go about taking protein is 1 gram per pound of body weight (although its actually .72 grams of protein per pound of body weight to be precise, 1 gram is just easier).

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## TranscriptionFactor

Protein metabolism has virtually nothing to do with the liver. It may be the case that you know something about renal physiology that I don't, but as an M.D., I have not seen renal failure as a result of protein intake. The predominant reasons for renal failure are: chronic hypertension, diabetes, autoimmune and inherited disorders such as IgA nephropathy, Goodpasture's disease, Lupus, sarcoidosis, rhabdomyolysis, IV contrast dye reaction and a host of others, none related to protein consumption.

Watch the videos, Milos says it several times in other venues. I don't believe he has any reason to mislead anyone, he is not like Arnold was, and anyway does not compete anymore.

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## jg42058p

heres a question: at what rate (of time) can protein be absorbed without turning into waste?

for example: say your body can absorb 30 grams of protein in an hour, and anymore that 30g taken within that hour turns to waste

would this mean that it is in general better to drink small protein drinks with a few hours lapsed in between shakes? (as opposed to taking high quantities in a short amount of time)

e.g.:
like 30grams @ 1pm, then another 30g at 2:30pm, then another 30g at 4pm... etcetera

would this be better than ingesting higher quantities in shorter amounts of time?

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## Iced696

> Listen to the pro's, not 120lb'ers:
> 
> Enlightenment
> http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2s...ar-pt1_extreme
> 
> somewhere in this multipart series he covers it. Milos says for the past 20yrs he's had 500gm protein per day.



Oh, I ALWAYS DO.. But thanks for the advice.

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## niceshotman

The ideal way to get protein is on a continuous drip feed, similar to an IV or a stomach G tube. When done this way, the muscle has the positive nitrogen balance throughout the day, to use the protein small amounts at a time, instead of taking larger amounts at intervals. I had the G tube with a high nitrogen formula for several months, and it worked well, but the doctors should have given me more of it, because they weren't giving me anywhere near 1.5 g per pound. I learned about this from my own hospitalization, and ironically, my nephew also has a G tube because he has a problem with choking on food. He's only a little kid, but I convinced my brother to double up his feeds and switch to a high protein liquid feed. Now, the kid is huge. His hands, body, and muscles just dwarf other kids that are older than him. It's amazing to see how a continuous feed of protein will encourage lean tissue. I learned firsthand that small, frequent, meals are best. Ideally, eat every hour, but most people eat 2-3 hours. If you only eat less frequently, then having more protein at those times will not be a problem unless you have serious kidney or liver damage.

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## anaBROLIC

easy rule to follow. if you are in the bathroom within 30min of your protein intake. your body didnt want all of it..lol

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## Garnelek

> heres a question: at what rate (of time) can protein be absorbed without turning into waste?
> 
> for example: say your body can absorb 30 grams of protein in an hour, and anymore that 30g taken within that hour turns to waste
> 
> would this mean that it is in general better to drink small protein drinks with a few hours lapsed in between shakes? (as opposed to taking high quantities in a short amount of time)
> 
> e.g.:
> like 30grams @ 1pm, then another 30g at 2:30pm, then another 30g at 4pm... etcetera
> 
> would this be better than ingesting higher quantities in shorter amounts of time?


Firstly i have to say that protein is by far ur best choise when it comes to caloric intake when ur cutting,that cauze its really hard for ur body to turn these extra cals into fat (waste as u said!) compared to cals from crbs lets say.So there is no big reason to worry that ur gonna get fat if u eat 30grms more in ur day.
1.There is no proven limit to how much protein can be absorbed by ur body at once or even at total .After all there is no whole food that it is totally absorbed in 3 hours.(Most foods give u a reasonable long lasting rise in ur blood amino acid levels.Only whey protein can give u big rise in amino levels that return to normal after about 3hours)
2.Having whey shakes at every meal is not a good idea as when long lasting rises in blood amino acid levels occur for a prolonged period of time (lets say for 3 meals in a row) protein synthesis rate remains at baseline.
That said keeping ur protein in the range of 1.5-2gr/pound and splitting that amount in 5-7 meals is ur best bet imo!

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## Garnelek

> The ideal way to get protein is on a continuous drip feed, similar to an IV or a stomach G tube. When done this way, the muscle has the positive nitrogen balance throughout the day, to use the protein small amounts at a time, instead of taking larger amounts at intervals. I had the G tube with a high nitrogen formula for several months, and it worked well, but the doctors should have given me more of it, because they weren't giving me anywhere near 1.5 g per pound. I learned about this from my own hospitalization, and ironically, my nephew also has a G tube because he has a problem with choking on food. He's only a little kid, but I convinced my brother to double up his feeds and switch to a high protein liquid feed. Now, the kid is huge. His hands, body, and muscles just dwarf other kids that are older than him. It's amazing to see how a continuous feed of protein will encourage lean tissue. I learned firsthand that small, frequent, meals are best. Ideally, eat every hour, but most people eat 2-3 hours. If you only eat less frequently, then having more protein at those times will not be a problem unless you have serious kidney or liver damage.


Again as i said above this is not a correct conclusion.
Protein synthesis rate returs to normal after a period of time even if hyperaminoacidemia is kept at a high level for a prolonged period of time.

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## WDMF

> this is very person dependent. It could range from 15-60 grams per meal depending on the person's height weight, drugs being used, physical level, etc


Agreed. I don't know if it means anything, but when I was younger and first seen Ronnie's video where he did those deadlifts and took 75g of protein for his breakfast I tried it. I tried to bulk up and take 60-75g per meal and noticed I was much stronger and thicker when I upped my protein doses. My buddy stated the body cannot absorb for than 30 g per meal. Needless to say I got stronger and bigger than he did during that time frame.

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## Mbuffguy

i think 50-60G

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## Deltasaurus

i say 40 grams or so should be plenty if ur eating 6 to 8 times a day that should be more than enough

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## niceshotman

I dunno. someone said that my post was not a correct conclusion? I don't get it? I'm not making this stuff up. If I had a digital camera I'd post some pics of a 2 yr old kid who is on a high nitrogen G tube feed, and he is gigantic. he is literally considered a "giant" by the medical staff. He is much bigger than his brother, who is older & from the same parents, and the only difference is that one kid eats like all little kids, and the other kid can't swallow food, so he is on a tube feed with a mickey button in his stomach...eating high nitrogen amino formula that is designed for burn victims and trauma patients. Everyone can have their own opinion, but even milos sarcev said that a continuous supply of aminos all day would be ideal for anabolism, & ive seen it happen, so take it or leave it, but this is the best advice i can offer.

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