How much protein is too much?

[tj]

Is there a such thing as too much?

 

[immrtlwun]

If you get more than your body can handle, you will just not absorb it and it will pass through your system. For gaining muscle, its a pretty well accepted idea on this forum that you want to get about 1-1.5 grams of protein for every pound of body weight.

 

[shaunuk]

More than that even..up to 2 or even 2.2 works best for some people. 2g is a fairly accepted value for most people for muscle gain among top coaches and lifters.

At some point, extra protein is gonna make no difference.

 

[bud_2005]

Could someone please clear this up for me. I think I've read that your body can only absorb like 35 g of protein in one sitting, anything extra is wasted. So say I eat 6 meals a day that means my body can only absorb 210 g of protein a day. So if I weigh 200 lbs there is no way possible I can get the goal of 1.5-2g per lb of body weight per day.

 

[Royce]

its hard to take to much considering if you weigh 150 lbs and are bulking your looking at close to 300g of protein (1.5 - 2 per lbs of bodyweight). Figure a protein shake has 25g a scoop, taking 5 your only getting close to half of what you actually need. The body can take a lot of protein it just has to be spread out over the day. Actually I find myself trying to find ways to get more in my diet and I take in a good amount.

Peace.

 

[I-tallionStallion]

More than that even..up to 2 or even 2.2 works best for some people. 2g is a fairly accepted value for most people for muscle gain among top coaches and lifters.

And if you stop making strength gains...add more food.

Read this

 

[wolf116]

Could someone please clear this up for me. I think I've read that your body can only absorb like 35 g of protein in one sitting, anything extra is wasted. So say I eat 6 meals a day that means my body can only absorb 210 g of protein a day. So if I weigh 200 lbs there is no way possible I can get the goal of 1.5-2g per lb of body weight per day.

Some scientists came up with this data through lab tests.

Athletes noticed that this doesn't equate to real life.

 

[Lifeforce]

I think the top amount of protein I've taken per day is close to 500g @180ish lbs. Those days I woke up and my kidneys were hurting even though I drank ****loads of water.

As long as your kidneys dont hurt it seems to be ok to eat as much protein as you want.

 

[Warboss Alex]

I think the top amount of protein I've taken per day is close to 500g @180ish lbs. Those days I woke up and my kidneys were hurting even though I drank ****loads of water.

How much water is ****loads? You'd need to drink a tremendous amount of water to be properly hydrated to take in 500g protein at 180lbs and I'd be very surprised if you took in enough (not saying you didn't drink a lot though).

 

[shaunuk]

bud_2005, it just ain't true man. If you're pounding weights, you're gonna have a lot of microtrauma in your muscles, and you're gonna absorb a lot more than 35g per meal.

Think of it this way, do you think if big guys only ate 150g protein per day they'd really be big now? no because people spin their wheels for years eating **** diets and not growing

 

[Lifeforce]

How much water is ****loads? You'd need to drink a tremendous amount of water to be properly hydrated to take in 500g protein at 180lbs and I'd be very surprised if you took in enough (not saying you didn't drink a lot though).

Hm, we're talking like 4 l milk, and about 2.5-3 l water every day. Not counting the water in protein shakes and the like. Maybe it wasnt enough but I was peeing constantly

 

[Warboss Alex]

Hm, we're talking like 4 l milk, and about 2.5-3 l water every day. Not counting the water in protein shakes and the like. Maybe it wasnt enough but I was peeing constantly

Not nearly enough. For that amount of protein at the weight you were you should've got 3 gallons of water a day. That's 12 litres.

Milk doesn't count for purposes of hydration as it's not 100% water and it does weird stuff with subq water..

 

[Lifeforce]

That might explain a thing or two alex. Wasnt a pleasant experience waking up and feeling like bruce lee had kicked me in the sides. Only eating 350-400g nowadays and havent felt any kidney pain yet so its all good and fun. :cheer:

Gotta give a big thumbs up for you for all the advice you give people here.

 

[Bible_Belt]

If you get more than your body can handle, you will just not absorb it and it will pass through your system. For gaining muscle, its a pretty well accepted idea on this forum that you want to get about 1-1.5 grams of protein for every pound of body weight.

I don't know how you guys do it. How much of that do you get from supplements and how much from food? I can eat about one 50g protein shake with my big meal of the day, but that is all of the whey protein I can stomach. I can't handle a protein shake or bar as a meal alone without it, as you put it, 'passing through my system.'

 

[Reborn]

Since Im on a budget Im going 50/50 from whey protein and from food. Whey is far cheaper than meat unfortunatly. The trick I use is to have 3 shakes a day which I spread out during several hours between my meals. Chugging down much more than 50g to a meal I dont think anyone can manage well.

 

[Warboss Alex]

I would try to get all your protein from solid food and use whey (preferably with raw eggs added) between meals.

Some people will be able to get in large amounts of solid protein easily, others simply don't have the digestive capacity from the off, and need to work into it. Basically you have to force your body to take in and assimilate the protein, just like you're forcing it to grow.

Chugging down much more than 50g to a meal I dont think anyone can manage well.

My pwo shakes were at 75-100g protein at one point, no problems here.