• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The BarBend Logo in white.

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • News
    • CrossFit
    • Strongman
    • Bodybuilding
    • Powerlifting
    • Weightlifting
    • HYROX
  • Reviews
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Mini-Massage Guns
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
        • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
        • Best Mass Gainer
        • Best Protein Bars
      • Best Pre-Workouts
        • Best Pre-Workout for Women
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
        • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
        • Strongest Pre-Workouts
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Fat Burners
      • Individual Supplement Reviews
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Ellipticals
      • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Individual Cardio Equipment Reviews
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Leg Extension Machines
      • Individual Strength Equipment Reviews
    • Apparel
      • Best Weightlifting Shoes
      • Best Cross Training Shoes
      • Best Running Shoes
      • Best Gym Shorts
    • Fitness Tech
      • Best Running Apps
      • Best Fitness Trackers
      • Best Workout Apps
      • Best Smart Scales
    • Support Gear
      • Best Lifting Straps
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
  • Nutrition
    • Diets
      • Carb Cycling
      • Vertical Diet
      • Reverse Dieting
      • Carnivore Diet
      • Ketogenic Diet
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • IIFYM Diet
    • Muscle Gain
      • How to Dirty Bulk
      • Go From Cutting to Bulking
      • Eat These Carbs
      • How to Eat for Muscle
    • Fat Loss
      • Macros for Fat Loss
      • Calorie Deficits
      • Natural Fat Burners
      • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
    • Supplement Guides
      • Pre-Workout
      • Whey Protein
      • Mass Gainers
      • Greens Powders
      • Creatine
      • BCAAs
    • Daily Protein Needs
    • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
    • Foods With Creatine
    • Bulking Tips
  • Training
    • Exercise Guides
      • Deadlift
      • Bench Press
      • Back Squat
      • Overhead Press
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Shoulder Exercises
      • Chest Exercises
      • Ab Exercises
      • Quad Exercises
      • Biceps Exercises
    • Training Guides
      • Beginner’s Guide to the Gym
      • How to Build Muscle
      • Guide to Muscle Hypertrophy
      • How to Train on a Cut
    • Workouts
      • Back Workouts
      • At-Home Workouts
      • Chest & Back Workouts
      • Full-Body Workout
      • HIIT Workouts
      • Bodybuilding Workouts
      • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
    • Programs
      • 5×5 Program
      • Bodybuilding Programs
      • Push-Up Program
      • Pull-Up Program
      • 5/3/1 Program
      • Powerbuilding Program
      • German Volume Training
      • Build Your Own Program
  • Calculators
    • Protein Intake Calculator
    • Macros Calculator
    • BMR Calculator
    • Squat Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
  • Community Forum
Home » Bodybuilding News » Excessive Protein Consumption, Explained 

Excessive Protein Consumption, Explained 

Is there such a thing as too much?

Written by Terry Ramos
Last updated on October 17th, 2024

Protein is an essential macronutrient for muscle growth. (1) It helps repair and create new cells to build muscle. But how much protein is necessary to optimize muscle growth? Does increased protein intake lead to greater gains, or can excessive protein consumption have undesirable side effects? 

Dr. Tom Trommelen, a researcher specializing in protein metabolism at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, and PhD of sports science Dr. Milo Wolf from Stronger By Science addressed these questions on Oct. 13, 2024. Learn what happens to the consumption of excess protein below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJtz49BNbRA

[Related: Best Pre-Workout Supplements]

The Concept of Protein Synthesis

Dr. Wolf explains that protein digestion takes place in four steps:

  1. The digestion process begins with the teeth. They perform mechanical digestion, which is breaking down food into smaller particles, increasing the surface area for enzymes to act upon.
  2. Food moves through the digestive tract into the stomach, where gastric glands secrete hydrochloric acid (HCl) to break protein bonds into smaller peptide fragments.
  3. Food enters the small intestine, where the walls absorb amino acids and release them into the bloodstream.
  4. These amino acids travel throughout the body via the blood, providing various tissues with the necessary components for protein synthesis or to be oxidized for energy.

Various tissues throughout the body, not just muscles, can utilize amino acids for protein synthesis.

Your muscle has a pretty low protein turnover rate compared to other tissues, like hair.

—Dr. Milo Wolf

Dr. Wolf describes how protein can be oxidized or burned for energy through deamination, which occurs in the liver and involves the removal of the amino group. This process produces keto acids, which the body then uses to convert proteins into glucose, ultimately utilizing this end product for energy.

Protein Ingestion 

Dr. Trommelen references previous studies, including one indicating that the initial 20 grams of protein elicits a linear anabolic response, followed by an additional benefit from the next 20 grams, totaling 40 grams. Further protein intake diminishes returns, as excess protein is either burned off or oxidized. However, recent research involving participants consuming 25 grams and 100 grams of protein challenges this notion.

Image via Shutterstock/Maria Alam Sraboni

[Related: Best Whey Protein Powders]

According to Dr. Wolf, the study’s findings reveal that consuming between 25 grams and 100 grams of protein doesn’t significantly increase protein oxidation. (2) The levels of amino acids transported from the bloodstream to tissues were notably higher when participants ingested 100 grams than 25 grams. But what happens to the surplus protein?

  • 0-4 hours: The 100-gram group exhibited a 20% increase in protein synthesis compared to the 25-gram group.
  • 4-12 hours: The 100-gram group showed a 40% increase in protein synthesis over the 25-gram group.
  • The release of amino acids into the bloodstream for those consuming 100 grams didn’t cease after 12 hours, whereas for those who ingested 25 grams, the release stopped around the four-hour mark.

These findings suggest that individuals consuming 100 grams of protein in one sitting aren’t wasting protein. (3)

Dr. Trommelen noted that previous studies involved participants consuming a single meal while measuring the anabolic response over four to five hours. However, when individuals consume a substantial amount of protein, they require additional time to digest it effectively.

[Related: Best Creatine Supplements]

Protein Intake Recommendations

Dr. Trommelen recommends that athletes aim for four meals daily, encompassing breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an additional meal before bed. Breaking up meals throughout the day rather than digesting too much in a single meal aids protein distribution.

Dr. Wolf further emphasizes this method can more effectively ensure adequate total protein intake for the body.

More Nutrition Content

  • The 5 Best Protein Shake Recipes for Weight Gain, From a PhD in Nutrition
  • These Are the Best Pre-Workout Breakfast Foods to Eat, Say Dietitians
  • Should You Have a Protein Shake Before Bed? Here’s What RDs and Sports Dietitians Say

References

  1. Carbone, J. W., & Pasiakos, S. M. (2019). Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit. Nutrients, 11(5), 1136. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051136 
  2. Schoenfeld, B. J., & Aragon, A. A. (2018). How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15, 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1 
  3. Trommelen, J., van Lieshout, G. A. A., Nyakayiru, J., Holwerda, A. M., Smeets, J. S. J., Hendriks, F. K., van Kranenburg, J. M. X., Zorenc, A. H., Senden, J. M., Goessens, J. P. B., Gijsen, A. P., & van Loon, L. J. C. (2023). The anabolic response to protein ingestion during recovery from exercise has no upper limit in magnitude and duration in vivo in humans. Cell reports. Medicine, 4(12), 101324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101324

Featured image: Maria Alam Sraboni / Shutterstock

About Terry Ramos

As a personal trainer and writer, Terry loves changing lives through coaching and the written word. Terry has a B.S. in Kinesiology and is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. Find out more about Terry's training services here: terrys-training.ck.page/b777772623

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Latest Reviews

Featured image for the Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review

Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review (2025): Our Expert’s New Favorite FID Bench

Titan T3 Power Rack Review

Titan T3 Power Rack Review (2025): An Expert-Approved Rig Beckoning to Budget-Minded Athletes

Our tester works out at the beach in preparation for the Rogue Resistance Bands Review

Rogue Resistance Bands Review (2025): Tested by a Certified Personal Trainer

Barbend tester Jake Herod works out on a Force USA Trainer

Force USA G3 Review (2025): Our Experts Tested This Compact All-In-One Rack for Small Home Gyms

BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2025 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap