How Much Protein Can Your Muscles Absorb In One Sitting?

It would seem logical that the more protein you pack away during a meal, the bigger your muscles would grow.

But your body doesn’t work that way. There’s a certain amount of protein your muscles can absorb in one sitting.

“Skeletal muscle protein synthesis is maximized by 25 to 35 grams of high-quality protein during a meal,” says Doug Paddon-Jones, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition and metabolism at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

“Protein synthesis” is basically a fancy way of saying “building and repairing muscle.” Exercise creates microtears in your muscles. The harder you work, the more tears. Protein helps repair these tears, causing your muscles to grow bigger and stronger.

Sitting on Your Butt All Day Is More Risky Than Being Obese

Consider this your daily reminder to get off your bum: Being sedentary may be twice as dangerous as being obese, according to a new study from the University of Cambridge.

Researchers tracked over 334,000 people for 12 years and compared activity levels and weights among the subjects who died during that time. They calculated how many deaths could have been avoided if all the participants had been more active versus at a healthy weight, and determined that physical activity could have saved twice as many people as weight loss.