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Nutrition Perfecting Protein Intake For Athletes: How Much, What, And When? (And Beyond)

Kenny Croxdale

Level 7 Valued Member
Perfecting Protein Intake For Athletes: How Much, What, And When? (And Beyond)
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/athlete-protein-intake/

Summary​

  • Daily protein intake averaged 1.5 and 1.4g/kg/d in male and female athletes, respectively (likely a bit more due to underreporting). Current recommendations are 1.3-1.8g/kg/d.
  • Protein needs do not appear to depend on body weight or amount of lean body mass. Therefore, protein recommendations expressed as g/kg/d may underestimate protein needs for smaller athletes.
  • Women tend to eat less protein than men (108 versus 90 g/d), but likely need the same absolute amount.
  • Protein intake correlates with energy intake. Make sure your protein intake remains high when dieting.
  • Animal-based protein contributed 57% of total protein intake in the athletes we studied, with the remaining 43% originating from plant-based protein.
  • Animal-based protein is more anabolic when compared to plant-based protein because of a higher essential amino acid content. This can (largely?) be compensated for by eating more plant-based protein.
  • The majority of protein is consumed during the three main meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  • Twenty grams of protein in a meal gives a near-maximal increase in protein MPS. Further increasing protein to 40g gives a relatively small additional 10-20% increase in MPS.
  • Protein intake was below the recommended 20g for 58% of athletes at breakfast, 36% at lunch, and 8% at dinner.
  • Older adults need more protein than younger adults, and it’s even more important for them to go up to 40g per meal.
  • An additional protein meal just before sleep improves total protein intake and protein distribution.
  • The plasma leucine peak following protein ingestion is a major determinant of MPS.
  • There are no conditions in which branched chain amino acid supplementation appears to be the optimal choice.
  • Minimalist recommendation (to get the most results with minimal effort): Eat at least 120g of protein per day.
  • Optimal recommendation (almost all results, considerable effort): Four meals of 40g of protein, spaced out evenly throughout the day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and pre-sleep), with the majority of protein from animal-based protein sources.
  • Advanced recommendation (only results matter. Speculative, but there’s some supporting research): In addition to the optimal recommendations, supplement 5g leucine 15-30 minutes before a meal or during a meal.
 
This is super interesting. I know a lot of the online protein calculators I've tried recommend me under 120g/day and I'm not a small person. So they are probably really underestimating for people who aren't 6' and over 200lbs.

I know this is probably "unknowable", but what is the detriment of eating all your daily protein OMAD style on building muscle?

Also this seems to put the kibosh on the older macro ratio style of eating (eg 40%p/40%c/20%f) and more credibility to the "calculate protein first and then fill in whatever else you want with whatever macros you like" advice that I've been seeing more and more.
 
silveraw said:
I know this is probably "unknowable", but what is the detriment of eating all your daily protein OMAD style on building muscle?
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There aren't many studies that truly nail it down, esp as it can take a long time to digest bigger meals and most of the research has focused on fairly precise doses of quick digesting proteins.

It would almost certainly be sub-optimal, but to what extent hasn't been defined.

Caveat: I looked for studies that might address this and came up short, if anyone has anything I'd appreciate the link.
 
I heard Nsima Inyang say spacing protein might be a little more optimal, but not so much that it would be a make or break deal.
 
Good summary, thank you!

In the book Warrior Diet, Ori Hofmekler talks about drinking protein shakes during the undereating phase. IIRC, there was someone on the SF forum who had talked to Ori about what he thinks about this now, and he recommended to not drinking the shakes, and if need be, replace them with dried milk. This was due to the change in his orientation (no pun) from performance-focused to longetivity-focused.

Could it be that while on OMAD or 20/4, from a longetivity-perspective it’s better to down all the protein during the feeding phase, and from a performance-focused view one could have a dose or two of protein during the fast? I wonder if one could also blend the two in to something like having protein during the undereating / fasting -phase on days after heavy training to improve recovery and muscle growth, and otherwise just during the feeding phase.
 
When John Berardi did an experiment with fasting he found 16/8 during the week and more of a 20/4 on the weekends helped with keeping roughly the same weight, but helped with body comp and such.
It kind of makes sense from a regular guys standpoint as most of us work during the week and probably need more protein and play a little more on the weekend and probably get too busy. With concrete season almost upon us I most likely won't get a morning break, but probably just a quick lunch break. So it'll be more 16/8 for me during the week. I think an Iron Addicts modified warrior diet would probably work best, but oh well. Maybe pack a bcaa drink in a water bottle or two for during the day?
 
Training for Life said:
Good summary, thank you!

In the book Warrior Diet, Ori Hofmekler talks about drinking protein shakes during the undereating phase. IIRC, there was someone on the SF forum who had talked to Ori about what he thinks about this now, and he recommended to not drinking the shakes, and if need be, replace them with dried milk. This was due to the change in his orientation (no pun) from performance-focused to longetivity-focused.

Could it be that while on OMAD or 20/4, from a longetivity-perspective it’s better to down all the protein during the feeding phase, and from a performance-focused view one could have a dose or two of protein during the fast? I wonder if one could also blend the two in to something like having protein during the undereating / fasting -phase on days after heavy training to improve recovery and muscle growth, and otherwise just during the feeding phase.
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So there was an article on T-Nation about mid-Covid (depending on your location) that used protein fasts. 2-3 protein shakes a day , with superfood if you use it, and then dinner. I used this for 2-3 months last spring and it worked great. I made great progress, dropping weight and gaining strength in the swing and the snatch and if I wasn't moving locations and dealing with real estate meetings I probably would have maintained it. I'm thinking of going back to it the beginning of April. I'm running between low carb and keto now (40-60 grams of carbs) but with higher protein. I'm not too worried about the fat levels as long as I'm not eating butter popsicles or something weird like that. Just natural stuff from sardines, salmon, olive oil, you get the point.

The articles point was that a simple 40-50 gram protein shake was only around 160-200 calories a shake and that we all probably could use a fat/carb freeish dose of extra protein and the extra 80-100 grams of protein a day was only going to benefit us.
 
I read another article that said daily total is as important as the absolute total. So as long as you get one gram plus per pound of bodyweight it doesn't matter whether it's one dose or several. How hard would a one dose serving be thought? For a two hundred pound man that would be a big chunk of meat, a bunch of eggs, and several scoops of protein powder.
 
www.dietdoctor.com

Guidelines for Protein Intake on a Keto Diet – Diet Doctor

Here's a guide to everything you need to know about protein on a keto lifestyle. Along with fat and carbohydrates, protein is one of the three macronutrients.
www.dietdoctor.com www.dietdoctor.com

I've been following Diet Doc for the last year now. Good resource for protein, fasting, low-carb, etc. I think the general consensus is about 0.82 g of protein / lb. I weighed 237 lb this AM and shoot for about 200 - 220 g protein split between 2x meals daily and I feel great. All depends on each individual at the end of of the day. Cheers!
 
Jonny B Good said:
Diet Doc
Click to expand...
Protein on a low-carb or keto diet
Guidelines for Protein Intake on a Keto Diet – Diet Doctor

Let's breakdown some of the informfation in this article

Aim for at least 20 grams of protein at each meal

Research (Drs Layne Norton and Donald Layman) have demontrated the following...

1) Younger Individual

They need around 25 gram per serving of quality protein (Whey) to elicit the mTOR anabolic, muscle buidling effect.

2) Older Individual

They need around 40 gram per serving of quality protein (Whey) to elicit the mTOR anabolic, muscle buidling effect.

The addition increase of protein intake is due the the fact that an older individual's system is not as efficient as a younger ones.

Ketogenic Diet Protein Intake

The Modified Atkins Ketogenic Diet protein intake need to be kept to 25% or less of Total Calorie Intake.

That because if protein intake is to high, gluconeogenesis occurs; it is converted to glucose.

When that occurs, you are no longer in ketosis nor on a Ketogenic Diet.

With that in mind, it appears the individual on a Ketogenic Diet may do well with lower protein intake, due to...

Elevated Leucine Blood Levels

Reserach by Drs Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney, M.D, PhD determined that protein (spefically Leucine Blood Levels) are elevated, preserving and protecting muscle protein on a Ketogenic Diet and when Fasting.

Increases in ketones on a The Ketogenic Diet and when Fasting Elevate Leucine Blood Levels.

mTOR

mTOR triggers an anabolic, muscle buidling effect.

It occurs when when sufficient quality protein is consumed and when Leucine Levels are elevated.

Intense Exercise also triggers mTOR with Resistace Training and High Intensity Interval Training.

Overview

Overall, the article provided some good information.

However, some of the recommendations need to be updated.
 
Deleted member 316 said:
So as long as you get one gram plus per pound of bodyweight it doesn't matter whether it's one dose or several.
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A Gram Per Pound

It is quesitonable if many individual need that much,

That amount would be dependent on other factors.

Multiple Doses Per Day

Multiple doses a day ensure mTOR (anabolic effect) is triggered with the right amount of protein.

This allow multiple spikes in the muscle building effect.

Which bring us to the timfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffing of protein intake...

Refractory Period

Research by Drs Gabe Wilson and Layne Norton determined maximal Muscle Protein Synthesis elicited when it is consumed.

Their reaseach determined that optimal Muscle Protein Synthesis was produce when protein/meals were consumed every 4-6 hours apart.

The Muscle Sponge Analogy

Thinks of Muscle like a Sponge. When the sponge is soaked, in this case "Muscle Full", not much water is absorbed; it tne same with "Muscle Full".

If you allow the sponge to dry out it soaks more water. The same occurs if the "Muscle Sponge" if given enough time dry out it will soak up more protein; greater Muscle Proten Synthesis occurs.

Medication

Metication work the same way.

That is why medication usually have some type of recommendation of let's say take every three or four hours; it is their Refractory Period.

If the medication is taken every hour, the body is still processing the inital dose. It cannot absorb or utilize any more until it processes the inital dose.
 
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