Too much protein at each meal?

[David1982]

I have a few questions if that's OK...

The easiest way for me to eat everything is by splitting it all up into 4 meals with 60g pro, 70g carbs at each meal. Would 60g pro be too much for one meal and result in some being wasted, or is that fine?

I'm getting almost all of my protein from 4 tins of tuna and 4 tubs of quark fat-free soft cheese daily (240g pro), and every other day I have a casein/whey shake - does that sound alright as far as pro quality is concerned?

I bought some BCAAs and creatine, but how much should I take each day?

I mixed the BCAAs with water and drank it and I nearly vomited - is there an easier way to take this awful stuff?

Thanks so much for your help.

Also, I read an article about teaching your Dad to squat and your description fixed my squat, so thanks again.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

The easiest way for me to eat everything is by splitting it all up into 4 meals with 60g pro, 70g carbs at each meal. Would 60g pro be too much for one meal and result in some being wasted, or is that fine?

Eh, you're not wasting any protein but with this level of carb intake you'd likely saturate muscle protein synthesis and decrease muscle protein catabolism to the highest amount with ~40g of protein/meal. However, this also depends on your age, size, and hormonal milieu. The extra protein won't hurt you, to be clear, but you might get more results out of shifting some calories from protein to calories from carb and/or fat.

I'm getting almost all of my protein from 4 tins of tuna and 4 tubs of quark fat-free soft cheese daily (240g pro), and every other day I have a casein/whey shake - does that sound alright as far as pro quality is concerned?

It's okay, although I'd like to see more variety in this if possible.

I bought some BCAAs and creatine, but how much should I take each day?

5g of creatine a day everyday. BCAAs= 5g pre workout, 10g post workout, 5g in between meals (if possible)

I mixed the BCAAs with water and drank it and I nearly vomited - is there an easier way to take this awful stuff?

Drink it with diet soda or get some better BCAAs that are flavored like Scivation.

[Nick Klemetson]

I started with an unflavored BCAA mixed with Mio flavored water, and could barely stomach the stuff.

Switched to Scivation Xtend, and it's almost overly sweet. I've tried the watermelon, orange, and blue raspberry. I find myself diluting it more than recommended, and it makes it much better.

[Milo's Ghost]

I started with an unflavored BCAA mixed with Mio flavored water, and could barely stomach the stuff.

Was it the taste or the consistency? I got some unflavored ish from truenutrition.com and it doesn't mix AT ALL, sort of ends up as a bunch of flakes in the water. Some always ends up on my lips (that's what she ...) and gives me that Tyrone Biggums look the ladies love. Sad face. But I didn't notice much of a taste to it one way or the other. I think I might try the instantized stuff once this runs out, should be less like drinking flecks of paint.

Switched to Scivation Xtend, and it's almost overly sweet. I've tried the watermelon, orange, and blue raspberry. I find myself diluting it more than recommended, and it makes it much better.

Lemon Lime Xtend ftw. Less sweet. But as long as you chug it, the extra water just helps you meet your gallon+ a day, so carry on soldier.

[Milo's Ghost]

Eh, you're not wasting any protein but with this level of carb intake you'd likely saturate muscle protein synthesis and decrease muscle protein catabolism to the highest amount with ~40g of protein/meal. However, this also depends on your age, size, and hormonal milieu. The extra protein won't hurt you, to be clear, but you might get more results out of shifting some calories from protein to calories from carb and/or fat.

I assume this means that with a higher carb intake, a higher protein intake per meal is cool? I try to do five meals a day at around 50-60g protein each, since I'm shooting for 270g protein (math is fun). But my carb intake is also higher than the OP's.

It's okay, although I'd like to see more variety in this if possible.

Is this just for compliance reasons? Vitamin/mineral intake? I'm unusual in that I can eat the same things day in and day out no prob, and I find it takes less time/thought/energy that way, so it's helps me actually hit my macros consistently. Problematic?

BCAAs= 5g pre workout, 10g post workout, 5g in between meals (if possible)

The 5g pre-workout - include this if I'm slugging a whey shake about an hour before I hit the gym? Like chug straight BCAAs as I'm admiring the guns in the locker room mirror one last time before getting after it?

[Rob Waskis]

One thing I've noticed about palatability is to drink them down immediately after they're dissolved. The longer they sit in solution the more bitter they seem to get.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

I assume this means that with a higher carb intake, a higher protein intake per meal is cool? I try to do five meals a day at around 50-60g protein each, since I'm shooting for 270g protein (math is fun). But my carb intake is also higher than the OP's.

Not necessarily. It means that with that amount of carbohydrates (read: significant) you do not "need" as much protein, but it's fine either way.

Is this just for compliance reasons? Vitamin/mineral intake? I'm unusual in that I can eat the same things day in and day out no prob, and I find it takes less time/thought/energy that way, so it's helps me actually hit my macros consistently. Problematic?

The tuna thing is interesting from a toxicity exposure, although if your selenium levels are fine it's not a big deal (unless you're a child or pregnant woman). I just like to see different types of protein in there to avoid developing an allergy to one.

The 5g pre-workout - include this if I'm slugging a whey shake about an hour before I hit the gym? Like chug straight BCAAs as I'm admiring the guns in the locker room mirror one last time before getting after it?

I would.

[Nick Klemetson]

Was it the taste or the consistency? I got some unflavored ish from truenutrition.com and it doesn't mix AT ALL, sort of ends up as a bunch of flakes in the water. Some always ends up on my lips (that's what she ...) and gives me that Tyrone Biggums look the ladies love. Sad face. But I didn't notice much of a taste to it one way or the other. I think I might try the instantized stuff once this runs out, should be less like drinking flecks of paint.



Lemon Lime Xtend ftw. Less sweet. But as long as you chug it, the extra water just helps you meet your gallon+ a day, so carry on soldier.

It was the taste. My unflavored (can't remember the brand) never mixed fully either, but it tasted like shit, even with the flavored water. Texture didn't bother me.

[Milo's Ghost]

Not necessarily. It means that with that amount of carbohydrates (read: significant) you do not "need" as much protein, but it's fine either way.

Because the higher carbs mean you need less protein for strictly energy reasons (vs. the recovery stuff that only protein can do)? Does it make sense to stack the protein pre and post workout like you do with carbs? Or just split it evenly and accept that there will be some 'extra' (not really, but you get me) in each meal?

I just like to see different types of protein in there to avoid developing an allergy to one.

Really? I could develop an allergy to whey? Or beef??? That's the scariest thing I've ever heard.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Because the higher carbs mean you need less protein for strictly energy reasons (vs. the recovery stuff that only protein can do)? Does it make sense to stack the protein pre and post workout like you do with carbs? Or just split it evenly and accept that there will be some 'extra' (not really, but you get me) in each meal?

Mostly correct. Carbohydrates are protein sparing and provide relatively immediate energy (ATP) and get a pretty good biphasic insulin response that increases amino acid deposition in muscles whilst preventing their breakdown. Without this extra "signaling", if you will, from carbohydrates a person would need MORE protein to do the same things. I don't think you need to "stack" the protein pre and post workout, but there might be some added benefit of having higher protein at these times (moderately) in order to take advantage of the transient increases in circulating hormones. That being said, there's plenty of research out there on the opposite side showing that because one is more sensitive to amino acids post workout, a little dab will do ya'.

Really? I could develop an allergy to whey? Or beef??? That's the scariest thing I've ever heard

Or eggs or chicken or turkey, etc.