Protein strategy: Frequent feeding can stimulate muscle growth
There’s a certain amount of protein your muscles can use and absorb in one sitting to build muscles. (It depends on the individual’s size, muscle mass, and age.) The daily total protein is more important than a per-meal protein. A good rule of thumb for daily intake for active athletes is roughly 25 to 40 grams of high-quality protein per meal across multiple meals (again, it depends on the individual size, muscle mass, and age.) This will actually help you boost protein synthesis many times over the course of a day. It will probably be easier on your digestive system, too! “Protein synthesis” is a fancy way of saying “building and repairing muscles.”
Your muscle growth is not limited by the amount of protein you can DIGEST or ABSORB. Your muscle growth IS LIMITED by the amount of protein that your body can use for protein synthesis.
What matters most is your total protein intake throughout the day. Reframe how you think about protein, especially if you’re trying to build muscle. Instead of eating 60 grams of protein during three meals a day, try eating 25 to 35 grams of protein space it out to five or six meals a day. Frequent feeding can stimulate greater protein synthesis, and that would lead to muscle growth.
Almost all of us can easily get enough protein for maximum muscle growth without the need for eating 50-plus grams of protein seven to nine times per day. Of course Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler excluded :)
Consuming high protein: Excess protein consumed is usually stored as fat, while the surplus of amino acids is excreted. This can lead to weight gain over time, especially if you consume too many calories while trying to increase your protein intake. Your body may have trouble eliminating all the waste products of protein metabolism, and that may lead to gut and digestive issues. A higher protein diet can cause harm to your kidneys and cause heart disease. It may actually hinder your goals too.
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