Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I've heard that adults should eat at least 30g of protein at each of 3 meals for optimal muscle maintenance. The theory goes, that your body can't store protein, so if you go too long with out it, your body will recycle muscle

For those of you who intermittently fast, how do you follow this recommendation? I know many IFers only eat 2 meals a day. Do you just pay no mind to this "constant need for protein"?

I ask, because i have found myself to be spontaneously skipping meals, or eating very sparingly for breakfast because i just don't feel hungry.

flag	asked Sep 12 at 18:20 Dr. Mitchell J Morris PhD 381●10

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strategic use of casein containing dairy products such as cottage cheese and greek yogurt can circumvent this problem, as casein does not spike insulin levels and keeps a steady supply of amino acids going to the blood over a 5-8 hour time frame due to it's coagulation and slow protein breakdown. – foreveryoung Sep 12 at 18:23

PhysiqueRescue · Accepted Answer · 2012-09-12 19:13:12Z UTC

I threw everything I thought I knew about protein instake out the window. Things such as X# of grams per pound of bodyweight, only absorb this much per session, etc. I follow the LeanGains approach daily and often throw in a 24 hour fast once every couple of weeks or so. I am currently 5'10 193 LBS. I lift heavy (fasted), do HIIT several times a week and throw in some light cardio on rest days (it's relaxing and meditative for me). At first I was really scared to lower protein intake because of a muscle loss fear and what I've lived by for so long. If I didn't get over 200g of protein per day I was completely stressed out. Now, I typically consume 100-130g protein per day split between two meals. Fat intake is probably 60-70% of my total caloric intake in the form of grass-fed butter, coconut oil, and grass-fed animal fat(organ meat, pemmican, etc.). My personal results have been increased strength and muscle mass, fat loss, and less stress about food consumption. Here is an article that has some before and after pictures to alleviate fears of not putting on muscle eating this way. If you have more in-depth questions, I'll be more than happy to go into more detail.

Remember everyone is different, the only way to know what works for YOU is experiment! The joy of self-discovery is a cool thing, don't be afraid to try it!

-Matt
PhysiqueRescue.com

Monte · Answer 2 · 2012-09-12 18:46:17Z UTC

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Look into autophagy. Recycling of protein is exactly what you want.

answered Sep 12 at 18:46

Monte
2,197●3●10

	are you implying that a constant stream of protein would disrupt that process? – Dr. Mitchell J Morris PhD Sep 12 at 18:48
	Yes. Pure fat does not disrupt this, but carbohydrate and/or protein would. – Amy B. Sep 12 at 18:53

CD · Answer 3 · 2012-09-12 18:49:32Z UTC

Rule of thumb is 1-1.5g protein per pound lean body mass for maintenance. Your body does not care whether this comes all in one meal or in two or three or seventeen.

That being said, there appears to be an upper limit of what you can absorb at a time which is regulated by the number of transporters you have (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amino_acid_transporter) which is highly individualistic but appears to be in the 5-15g of protein per hour range. Food typically takes 3-4 hours to digest protein you can absorb 15-60g of protein at a time with most people in the 30-45g range.

However, protein, and especially protein consumed with fat will slow down digestion via a cholecystokinin antagonist which may enable someone to absorb more protein.

I am always amazed when I learn how many different ways "paleo" style foods (i.e. fat) actually improve how the body functions with certain nutrients.

Protein and Intermittent fasting?

3 Answers