There is a popular misconception in the nutrition and diet world that the human body can only absorb 30 grams of protein per meal. Any more than that, and you’re just being wasteful. Researchers in France did a study where some women were given protein at one meal, or throughout the day, and after two weeks there was no difference in protein indicators between the two groups. The fact is, protein can be absorbed just as well in one meal as it can throughout the day. Daily total protein is FAR more important than per-meal protein. That being said, many people are STILL achieving sub-optimal muscle gain with a prescribed amount of protein in their diet. It is important to remember that due to water content in most protein sources, the weight of the protein source (IE chicken) is much higher than the actual weight of the protein. Water is HEAVY! 140 grams of a protein heavy source like lean meat contains only about 43 grams of actual protein!
If you’re not gaining muscle, try to track your protein over one day, and reference the following table from Tim Ferris’ 4 Hour Body to see if you’re getting enough protein to fulfill your goals.
100 lbs of lean mass = 125 grams of protein
110 lbs = 137.5 g
120 lbs = 150 g
130 lbs = 162.5 g
140 lbs = 175 g
150 lbs = 187.5 g
160 lbs = 200 g
170 lbs = 212.5 g
180 lbs = 225 g
190 lbs = 237.5 g
200 lbs = 250 g
