Upper Limit to Protein Intake?

[Nicholas Rega]

Robert,
Is there only so much protein that one can intake and the body make productive use of? I’ve seen a number of 1.5 grams/lb of bodyweight being the cap or just simply 250 grams. None of these numbers were in reference to health concerns. Is there any merit to this? A google search just brings up misinformation concerning protein and kidney health.

[Robert Santana]

Robert,
Is there only so much protein that one can intake and the body make productive use of? I’ve seen a number of 1.5 grams/lb of bodyweight being the cap or just simply 250 grams. None of these numbers were in reference to health concerns. Is there any merit to this? A google search just brings up misinformation concerning protein and kidney health.

You can only use so much for muscle protein synthesis. However, we synthesize many non-muscle proteins as well. Once you exceed a certain amount the protein starts getting converted into glucose via gluconeogenesis. This amount varies between individuals.