Protein

January 7, 2008

An AJCN review found that the body uses protein more efficiently if it

is consumed as several small meals/boluses of ~15 g EAA (or ~ 4 oz of

protein) throughout the day.

Wolfe RR. The underappreciated role of muscle in health and disease.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 84, No. 3, 475-482,

The optimal intake of protein is uncertain, but one can derive estimates

from acute metabolic studies of muscle metabolism.

Thus, the maximal response of muscle protein synthesis can be attained

with intake of ~15 g essential amino acids (EAAs) (91),

which is approximately equal to the amount of EAAs in the EAR for a

55-kg woman. The response to a single dose

of amino acids can potentially be achieved multiple times per day, with

additive effects, with repeated meal ingestion (91, 92).

Consequently, it would not be unreasonable to expect beneficial effects

stemming from increased myofibrillar and mitochondrial

protein synthesis to be achieved with the ingestion of 15 g EAAs at each

meal rather than at only one meal per day. This would

translate to a protein intake as high as 1.8 g protein * kg_1 * d_1.

Although this amount may seem extreme in the context of the

current recommendations, it is in line with the amount of protein in the

average American diet, which was reported in the DRIs to

be 1.5 g * kg_1 * d_1 for adults (62). Furthermore, detrimental effects

of protein intakes >2.0 g * kg_1 * d_1 have not been documented (62).

April 10, 2008

Does anyone have info/specific references on protein quality or

composition? I am looking for PDCAAS reference for collagen vs whey

protein (and anything else you can give me!) Or perhaps the amino

acid composition of both to compare? Thank you!

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