protein utilisation

I've been told by a qualified trainer at a gym that the body can only really utilise 20g of protein per meal. Is this true? You see all these protein supplements that claim to offer over 40g per serve or more. I don't believe this guy but he has numerous university degrees and used to compete in amatuer competitions.

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Originally Posted by aussiejuicer

I've been told by a qualified trainer at a gym that the body can only really utilise 20g of protein per meal. Is this true? You see all these protein supplements that claim to offer over 40g per serve or more. I don't believe this guy but he has numerous university degrees and used to compete in amatuer competitions.

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Your trainer sounds like his degrees are in something other than nutrition. No offence, but if he knew his stuff, he'd know the answer to this issue.

The amount of protein that can be metabolized per meal is dependent on numerous things (testosterone levels, insullin, T3, T4, etc.) As such, it's possible for an individual to be able to use as much as 100g or more. It also means some individuals may only be able to use 20g. Most individuals can probably use between 30 and 50g per meal. If there is any "extra", much of it will simply be excreted.