I bet he'd be a good source of protein. Yum.
You’ve probably heard – at one time or another – someone recommend that you should only eat 30 grams of protein at a time. The idea is that body can only absorb so much protein at once and that any protein beyond the body’s limit will be wasted.
Though this belief is prevalent, I’ve never found any research that supports it. And on the contrary, there have been a few small-scale studies that suggest there is no advantage in observing the 30-gram limit.
Here’s a better strategy that I’d recommend:
- Calculate your daily protein needs. Typical people need about .4 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day. Active people require .6 grams per pound. And athletes or bodybuilders can require .9 grams or more per pound. Being the 160lb gym addict that I am, I aim for 140 grams of protein a day.
- Divide your daily protein requirement by the number of meals you typically eat. As is often advised for fitness enthusiasts, I try to eat 5 meals a day. This would suggest that I should take about 28 grams of protein per meal. If I eat 3 meals, I’d try for 40 grams – with a few extra grams during snacking.
As it turns out, most people will probably get a number around 30 grams. My dad, for example, is 220 pounds and fairly average in terms of his activity level. He’d need 88 grams of protein per day. He eats 3 meals, so that would equal – lo and behold – 29.33 grams. For this reason, I suspect that the 30 gram number originally emerged more as a recommendation than a rule. And then, over time, it took on a life of its own.
Bottom line: Even large amounts of protein can be digested and absorbed, and it appears there is no 30 gram limit. The body will only “waste” protein if you’re taking in more than you need on a daily basis.
When I saw “protein,” I was expecting something totally different.
Haha you men are all the same!
Sounds like a recipe for renal failure.
Maybe if you eat fried food everyday, but this seems like a snap judgment based upon the big I word.
Some people probably need more or less than this depending on their personal needs, but this is protein in general, not red meat or soy protein, for this can be dependent on blood type (ideally), or at least upon someone’s belief system.
Hey Davey- I have a question- is this per pound or per pound of lean body weight? I’ve heard somewhere that fat doesn’t need protein the way that lean tissue does.
It is per pound – but it’s not an exact science. If you’d like a more complex equation that takes body type into consideration, try calculating it based on a percentage of total calories. It’s a complex formula, but it can be found here: http://exercise.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/protein_2.htm
Thank you for this post. This is the most succinct information I have found. I think I will look at the formula before trying out the .6 gram ratio….