How to Distribute Your Protein to Maximize Muscle Growth

Protein catalyzes nearly every biochemical reaction in our bodies, making it indispensable for life. Every day, our bodies renew and replace around 300 grams of protein – the same weight as a can of Campbell's chicken soup.

Dr. Luc van Loon joins Rhonda to shatter myths about protein intake and muscle protein synthesis. His research showed we can utilize up to 100 grams of protein in one meal, far more than previously thought.

In this clip, Rhonda & Dr. Luc van Loon discuss:

• Whether consuming one large dose of protein (e.g., 100g) is the same as consuming several smaller doses (e.g., 20g) throughout the day
• Can evening protein consumption stimulate muscle protein synthesis overnight?
• Why athletes should consider having a protein-rich snack before bed
• How time-restricted feeding affects muscle protein synthesis
• Why it's still possible to gain muscle eating 0.8 g/kg or protein
• Why it doesn't matter if you consume protein before or after resistance training
• Which stimulates more muscle protein synthesis: consuming protein in multiple smaller meals (e.g., 5 times 20 grams) or fewer larger meals (e.g., 2 times 50 grams)?

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Watch the full episode:

[hf]

We need the guy who sums it up in the comment section . Where you at

[FitDadMD]

In summary Eat at least 20-30g of protein per meal, 3-5 times per day. If you are going to miss a meal or for overnight fast you can eat a larger amount of protein to carry the effects of muscle protein synthesis longer and get you to your next meal with probably no noticeable Loss of benefit. Most importantly, don’t miss your resistance training session (lifting weights) as this sensitizes the muscle and has a far bigger impact on muscle growth than the minute variations of protein distribution.

[jimmcmahon]

She asked EVERY question I had and did so very clearly. His responses were just as clear. Great interview, thank you.

[JonathanLoganPDX]

Thank you! As a 62 year-old man trying to make sense of all this working out in the gym 3 days a week, doing cardio 2 days a week and trying to watch my diet, this was really helpful!!

[Slayerth]

Don‘t overcomplicate things guys.
Just eat 3-5 meals a day and a total of 1-1.5g/kg bodyweight.
In that range the details would not matter and you will get probably 90-95% of your maximum possible muscle protein synthesis anyways.
Just train smart but hard, eat well, sleep like a baby and keep your stress levels low.
You will get gains and be healthy in the long run.

[heytherejarvis]

(summarised using gemini) Sure, here is a summary of the video How to Distribute Your Protein to Maximize Muscle Growth in 10 bullet points:
* 00:00-02:00: The video starts with a discussion about protein distribution and the importance of muscle protein synthesis for muscle growth.
* 02:00-04:00: The speaker mentions that most people consume the majority of their protein in their evening meal, which is not ideal for muscle growth.
* 04:00-06:00: The speaker recommends consuming 20-25 grams of protein in each of your main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) to maximize muscle protein synthesis throughout the day.
* 06:00-08:00: The speaker discusses a study that showed that consuming a larger meal with 100 grams of protein can lead to a greater anabolic response over a longer period of time.
* 08:00-10:00: The speaker talks about the importance of time in muscle protein synthesis and how it takes time for protein to be digested and absorbed.
* 10:00-12:00: The speaker discusses a study that showed that consuming protein in the evening can still stimulate muscle protein synthesis in the morning, even after an overnight fasted state.
* 12:00-14:00: The speaker talks about time-restricted eating and intermittent fasting and how they can affect muscle protein synthesis.
* 14:00-16:00: The speaker discusses a study that showed no difference in muscle protein synthesis between time-restricted eating and non-time-restricted eating.
* 16:00-18:00: The speaker talks about the importance of training and how it can make your meals more efficient in optimizing muscle reconditioning.
* 18:00-20:00: The speaker concludes the video by saying that it is important to have a consistent routine of training and meals to maximize muscle growth.

[haroonmirza]

It's always a pleasure to listen to Dr. Luc !

[jp]

It’s been a while since I’ve listened to a podcast on muscle synthesis and thought “so that how that works”. MPS takes place for 24 hours after exercise WOW … good to know .. my stress, levels will be reduced by a small amount now .. thanks Rhonda .. I’ll rewatch the full episode .. seems I forgot the salient points.

[mattfisano]

All of these different variables of high protein, low protein, different times of the day. Before bed and spreading out. How come he never mentions the impact on the insulin levels and blood sugars. What was the levels of these in response to the amounts of protein at different sizes and times. Is the 100 gram protein meal causing delayed blood sugar spikes in the middle of the night. A lot of discussion missing here.

[williamdejeffrio]

WOW! This is exactly the information I've been looking for! I'm a 69 y.o. male who does heavy resistance training 2-3 times a week and I try to eat as much protein as I can, but I find it hard to eat five meals a day (mainly because I my digestion is rather slow, I don't process food quickly and I tend to feel "run down" if I eat when I don't feel hungry). I weigh 208 currently at a height of 6 ft and have a fair amount of fat on me (not obese, just a little larger around the waist than I would like). I'm doing good if I get 150 grams of pure high quality protein a day. I tend to eat my heaviest at night. My protein sources are boneless/skinless chicken breast, protein shakes, low salt canned salmon, occasional eggs/egg whites, lean ground beef. At one time I ate 200 grams of protein a day (while still doing the exercise) but I mainly gained a LOT of fat. I'm going to try to increase my protein to 200 gr/day again in the near future to attempt to gain more muscle, with some reductions in carbs/sugars and see what that provides. Thanks for this excellent and informative presentation!

[bbjumpman]

At 182 pounds I eat the following amounts of protein with meals: 

1) Breakfast:40g protein,  
2) Post workout: 25g,  
3) Lunch25g,  
4) Mid afternoon:40g,  
5) Dinner 40-50g.  

Total= 170-180grams protein per day

Seems to work but I might add a late evening p-snack. I work out heavy weights 4 times per week. This amount of protein helps me recover properly. 

Any advice?

[mdmoto-adventureresearchers]

This was a brilliant session, thanks.

[mick]

Dr. Patrick your videos contain do much valuable information. I have learned a lot from your videos. Thank you.

[rawbackmitchell]

19:28. " Consistency ". Thats all thats required with most endevours in life.
I have found by dropping my protein significantly on some days as low as 120g ( No supplements ) but greatly increasing my carbs and fat; sleep, training, recovery, digestion, lean muscle, overall feeling of wellbeing is all so much better. Find what works for you. It might take a while, but once you find it, be consistent.

[i-primeproductions]

If the only benefit of intermittent fasting was decreasing insulin resistance It would be well worth it for Health. For those of us who are type two diabetic it is a game changer.

[TheMightyOdin]

I consume 40 to 50 grams of protein 6x a day. Usually end the day with 250 to 260 grams of protein.

[Frank-Picchione]

Listening to the podcast now, so good!

[pops]

My question is if I’m having a protein shake with about 12ozs of milk can I put 25 grams of whey protein and 25 grams of plant base protein together ?

[txc]

Dr Luc words on nutrition are very much in line with Dr. Don Laymans words with a few more inadept details but are essentially the same across the entire spectrum of protein intake...

[jlvandat]

My takeaway, right or wrong (as someone who does IF, eating from 9AM to 2PM) is that I need to consume plenty of protein in my window, and exercise regularly if I want to maintain muscle mass.