The 360-Degree View of Protein: One Word, Many Questions

Protein is a macronutrient like fat and carbohydrates. Unlike fat and carbohydrates, there is no depot to store excess protein and/or nitrogen (Attia, 2024). Protein is made up of 20 amino acids, of which 9 are essential (the body cannot make them). 

I want you to think of protein as the “house,” and the amino acids as what make up that house.

What is protein?

A special attribute of protein is nitrogen. To build muscle and have enough energy to get through your day, you need a positive nitrogen balance (Norton, 2023). If you are plant-based and/or vegan, Dr. Layne Norton — a fitness and nutrition expert and powerlifter — recommends increasing protein consumption by 10–20% to maintain adequate protein and a positive nitrogen balance (Norton, 2023). Amino acids are not only building blocks; they are also signaling molecules.

As explained by Dr. van Loon, an international expert in skeletal muscle metabolism, the protein we consume in a day is not the only source of amino acids being synthesized in the body (Attia, 2024). With tissue breakdown, we are constantly using amino acids to fuel, build, and replace in our bodies — called protein turnover. 

If your body synthesizes around 300 grams a day and you consume 70 grams of protein, you are not deficient, because the rest comes from the breakdown of tissue. In fact, about every 50–100 days, every protein molecule in our body is replaced (Attia, 2024; Lyon, 2022).

Is there truth to “too much protein can hurt you”?

If you consume more and more protein, you consume more calories, which may affect weight loss. There are also studies showing that when people consistently consume a large amount of protein, muscles are not harmed, but organs like the kidney and liver can become larger (Chappus, 2023). You may have also heard that excess protein can hurt your kidneys. The science does not support this claim (Lyon, 2022). Dr. Layman reported, in conversation with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, that many kidney doctors (nephrologists) will not limit protein unless a patient has stage III or IV kidney disease (Lyon, 2022).

As explained by Dr. Layman, it is important to understand that our muscle will fill up with protein to a certain point and then stop for 4–5 hours (Chappus, 2023). Our muscle is protective of the ATP (“cellular energy”) it has stored. Protein turnover is continuous, so even though your muscle is no longer sensitive to new protein, amino acids remain active in your blood and other parts of your body. 

Protein consumption should be on a consistent schedule. As Dr. Layman explains, the body gets used to your meal pattern — a one-meal-a-day person absorbs protein differently than someone who eats every 5 hours (Chappus, 2023).

Whey & casein: which is best?

Cow’s milk is 20% whey and 80% casein. When you evaluate the two options, the key factors are timing and leucine. Leucine is very important in initiating protein synthesis, and human studies show that whey brings higher levels of leucine. Whey spikes quickly and strongly, so it stimulates protein synthesis efficiently (Attia, 2024). However, if you are looking at synthesis over a longer period (4–6 hours), casein has been shown to “catch up” with whey and equalize its effectiveness (Attia, 2024).

The difference between products is how they are changed to address gastrointestinal issues related to whey concentrate. People who are lactose intolerant may be best served with an isolate, and if you have an intolerance and don’t handle lactalbumins, you should do fine with a hydrolyzed product. 

Remember, it is not all about protein consumption — if your gut is inflamed by intolerances, your microbiome will be stressed, and it will impact your health (Attia, 2024).

What about plant proteins?

When you consider plant proteins like pea protein, you need to know two things: the higher presence of hormones versus whey protein, and the content of this protein (hint: amino acids). First, to reassure the gentlemen — estrogen in your protein will not change you, other than allowing you to build muscle. Soy, another plant protein, has been in numerous clinical trials and can absolutely help you develop more muscle. 

Dr. Layman explains that plant protein has more non-essential amino acids than essential amino acids (Chappus, 2023). If you are not getting 50% or more of your protein from animal sources (which includes whey and casein), you will not get what you need in essential amino acids unless you increase your grams per day.

How much?

• Dr. Attia (2024), Dr. van Loon, and Dr. Layman (Chappus, 2023) recommend at minimum 1.0 grams/kg/day and more if you are interested in gaining lean body mass. Dr. Attia said that he uses the range of 1.6 to 2.0 grams/kg/day for his patients (2024)
• As mentioned by Dr. van Loon, you need 2-3 grams of leucine at each meal. Leucine is very important because it initiates muscle synthesis (Attia, 2024).
• Per Dr. Layman, Our protein synthesis and turnover mechanisms are most efficient IF we stay between 30-50 grams per meal (Chappus, 2023).
• Leucine and the composition of amino acids, and the rate of digestion will determine if you can get the most benefit (20 g vs 40 g) from the protein you consume (Attia, 2024)
• As mentioned by Dr. Attia (2024), Goals are good, but we definitely have to pay attention to digestibility, amino acid composition, and the amount of protein per meal .

"Ok, so I need to step it up in the number of grams I am consuming. I want to get the biggest bang for my buck. Are proteins the same? What about those essential amino acids?"

Dr. von Loon and Dr. Attia discussed how consumers need to have accurate information about “real” protein and amino acid content (2024). Dr. Layman explained the following example: if you have a box of protein bars and it says “25g per bar,” this is only a rough estimate based on the nitrogen calculation (Chappus, 2023). 

Dr. Layman explains that 1 protein will not be the same as another protein. Protein choices have a special combination of amino acids, and the nitrogen in each amino acid is different (Chappus, 2023). Dr. Layman also points out that consumers have not been given the information to know recommended allowances of the amino acids. 

Random-controlled trials (the most respected and reliable type of scientific studies) have narrowed in on 3 essential amino acids that are very important: leucine, lysine, and methionine. Dr. Attia recommends 2-4 grams per meal for leucine and lysine and 1 gram per meal of Methionine (2024).

What foods can I eat to meet these recommendations?

• Leucine-rich foods: Beef, cottage cheese, navy beans, lentils, yogurt, hemp seeds, eggs
• Lysine-rich foods: Pears, hummus, tempeh, soy, quinoa, cheese, lentils
• Methionine-rich foods: brazil nuts, swiss cheese, pumpkin seeds, chicken, tuna

"Ok, I am going to build up my grams of protein starting tomorrow! If I remember correctly, protein synthesis is the star player for staying healthy and building muscle.  Anything else that the experts mentioned will improve my efforts?"

• Chewing and smaller, textured pieces increase the digestibility of a protein like steak versus a hamburger (Attia, 2024).
• Plant proteins are good sources of protein but remember they have more non-essential amino acids than animal sources
• Protein per meal should be intentional. The body will best respond to more meals than the same number with increased protein (Chappus, 2023).
• Protein such as chicken can be joined with carbohydrates, and it will mitigate blood glucose spikes. Dr. Layman has tested this in human studies and has found that if you match protein grams to carbs in grams, the subjects did not gain weight (Chappus, 2023).
• You want to have a high-protein first meal because your body has been catabolic for several hours. You want to start protein synthesis and focus on leucine (you need 2.5 to 3.0 grams) because it stimulates the thermogenic actions of protein synthesis (Attia, 2024).

Want to learn more?

References
Attia, Peter (2024 April 23). [Optimizing muscle protein synthesis: exercise, timing of protein intake, protein quality, and more]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/_CkUCN95Ico?si=ux93cflG8bnvlot3

Lyon, Gabrielle (2022 February 2). [Consider this before buying protein powder. Discussion between Dr. Layman and Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/1bkL6BxL1I4?si=LoV3yfzQ79z4GXFR

Norton, Layne (2023 September 20). [Vegan diets, protein & nitrogen balance: Study review & educational video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stGjXA4moKY

The Jesse Chappus Show (2023 August 8). [The Protein expert: EVERYTHING You’ve Been Taught About Protein IS WRONG! | Dr. Don Layman]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/7HnSzBBmn3k?si=orxc2rR3wHmmOBnd