Should you use 2 scoops of protein powder at once? - Protein timing
Have you ever been low on protein for the day and decided to throw 2 or 3 scoops of protein powder into your shake to try and hit your goal?
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Ok, back to double scooping protein powder… The thought behind doing it is that since you weren’t able to get in enough protein through other foods during day that you should make up for it by putting extra protein into a shake that you drink.
We’ve written other posts on optimizing your protein timing, and have gone deep into whether or not you need a protein shake right after a workout.
We’ve also helped folks like these achieve amazing results through 1 on 1 coaching:
Now that we’re finished marveling, let’s talk about the pros and cons of piling 50, 60 or 70 grams of protein into one shake.
One of the common questions on this topic is: How much protein can be absorbed in one meal?
We have research on this topic, and the answer resoundingly is that there doesn’t seem to be a limit. However, we are talking about absorption, not optimization. The fact is that everything you eat in a meal will eventually be absorbed and broken down by the body into its constituent nutrients. In the case of protein, that means amino acids.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is getting close to the appropriate number of calories and macronutrients that your body needs that day. (And here’s our free nutrition and macronutrient guide to help you out with that.) If you’re adding a large chunk of protein to that shake and it’s the only way you can reach your daily goals, then so be it. Your body will absorb and use those calories and that protein.
But there are a couple of things you should be aware of when mega-dosing those shakes.
Most of our clients who supplement with protein powder use whey protein isolate. It’s the cheapest, most effective, and common protein supplement out there. It’s made from milk and has all of the essential amino acids required to build and maintain muscle. That’s a win.
One thing about whey is that it absorbs and digests rapidly compared to a protein source like meat. The reason we bring this is up is that we’ve seen with clients that the large influx of whey (more than 1 serving at a time) can cause some digestive distress. Everyone’s threshold for this discomfort is different, but it’s something to be aware of.
So even if drinking multiple servings of protein powder in one drink doesn’t bother your stomach, that doesn’t mean it’s optimal.
The reason we eat protein in the first place is that its amino acids are responsible for helping us build and maintain muscle. You want muscle.
You might not want to be a bodybuilder, but you want muscle. It’s what gives you strength as well as a lean, healthy physique.
Eating enough protein is also clutch when it comes to losing fat. Protein is filling, and your body also burns more calories processing the nutrients in protein than it does compared to carbs and fat.
There are 9 essential amino acids that we get from eating complete protein sources like high-quality protein powder. Among those essential amino acids are 3 amino acids known as the “branch chain amino acids” or BCAA’s. These are the guys responsible for triggering what is known as muscle protein synthesis (MPS). MPS is the process of repairing and rebuilding muscle tissue.
We need to have a certain amount of these BCAA’s in a meal in order for this process to happen. That amount is about 5.5 - 6g of BCAA’s with 2.5-3g of that coming from Leucine.
***Stop reading this article and go pull out your protein powder. Flip it over and look at the amino acid content. Does it have about 6g of BCAA’s? If so, carry on. If it doesn’t tell you, get online and look. If it has LESS than 5.5g of BCAA’s, you should consider finding a different protein supplement. ***
Ok, back to our topic. Most animal sources of protein get you to that BCAA threshold with about a 20-30g serving of protein. That’s why most protein powders give you about that much protein per serving.
Once you’ve hit that threshold, you’ve triggered MPS and muscle building can occur. As we mentioned earlier, your body will still absorb and break down the surplus of protein and amino acids in time, but you’re not getting an extra bout of MPS by drinking more than 1 serving at a time.
We find that the average person WAY under eats protein daily. If that’s the case, their goal should be boosting their daily intake by all means necessary, regardless of optimization. However, you’re a Digital Barbell client or reader, and you want to make the most of your efforts in nutrition.
Psst…speaking of our clients…check out this transformation:
And this one:
The exact timing of your protein intake isn’t all that important, but in an ideal world we’d like you stimulating MPS multiple times per day to take advantage of its benefits.
Once you’ve triggered MPS by eating a meal (or shake) with 20-30g of protein (2.5-3g of Leucine) there is a “refractory period” that has to expire before it can happen again. This period is about 2-3 hours.
Don’t lose sleep over timing this all out exactly, but think about your day as a whole.
Is there a way within your lifestyle that you can hit your daily protein goal and stimulate MPS 3-5 separate times?
Just not skipping meals is a great place to start.
So in summary, when it comes to protein intake… eating enough in the day is the #1 goal. If protein shakes help you reach that goal, so be it. We don’t LOVE the idea of protein shakes with 2-3 servings in them. They can upset your stomach and aren’t optimal from both a “eat more whole foods” approach, as well as from a stimulating muscle growth/repair perspective.
Try to eat 3-5 protein-rich meals per day and THEN fill in the gaps with a shake if needed.
As a nutrition coaching client, we’ll take all the guesswork out of this, and help you put your nutrition on cruise control. Apply for coaching HERE.
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All our best,
Jonathan & Blakley
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