Did you know that your body can absorb about 25 grams of protein in one sitting? Your body roughly takes 1.5 to 2 hours to do that. If you consume different amounts of protein for your three meals a day, you can maximize and increase the protein your body consumes.
What can you do? This page lists what you can do to increase protein absorption in your body, so continue reading to get those gains and not waste any proteins you consume, e.g., fixing your digestion, drinking enough water, taking vitamin B-6, when you should eat your proteins, and how.
Fix Your Digestion.
When Maximizing Protein Absorption: What Science Says is to improve your gut health. The most common reason individuals can’t absorb the protein they take is poor digestion. If this is your problem, eat food that’s rich in antioxidants and probiotics for a healthier gut. The following are great foods that can help with poor digestion:
- Oats
- Beans
- Brown rice
- Wholemeal bread
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Yogurt
- Mint tea
A food diary can also help track what food triggers poor digestion and eventually helps you avoid it altogether. It enables you to be more mindful at the same time and urges you to eat more healthily.
Furthermore, you should also increase food that’s rich in protease in your diet. Protease can help break down protein into small peptides and amino acids, which helps the body digest it better. It’s an essential digestive enzyme, and you can get it by eating the following:
- Fig
- Papaya
- Yogurt
- Papaya
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Kimchi
- Kefir
- Asparagus
Get Proper Water Intake.
Drinking enough water helps with your digestion but can also eliminate harmful toxins in the body. The average human body consists of 60% water, which changes due to age, hydration levels, and sex. Drinking water is essential to maintain an average temperature, protect your spinal cord and other nerves, cushion and lubricate joints, maintain proper kidney function, regulate blood pressure, and more.
Staying hydrated is essential since consuming too much high-protein food can make you dehydrated. Thus, it’s much more crucial that you drink enough water to stay hydrated. As mentioned above, drinking water is also essential for poor digestion. Why? Water can break down food and make it easier for your body to absorb the nutrients and proteins you need. Drinking enough water also prevents constipation by making the stool softer.
Take Vitamin B-6.
Do you want to get the most from your body’s protein intake? Then, take Vitamin B-6 or Pyridoxine. Its purpose is to help the enzymes in your body break down the protein consumed and carry these dismantled amino acids to your bloodstream for “absorption.” You can also find Vitamin B-6 in food; it’s where you get that extra kick of Vitamin B-6. You can find it in nuts, fish, meat, legumes, whole grains, beans, and seeds.
Eat More Complex Carbs.
When building muscle, you’ll see that several online sites will advise you to eat more protein and carbohydrates. It’s because these two are required for muscle building. Carbohydrates can help replenish muscle, while protein helps build muscle. As you can see, these two go hand in hand to help you achieve your dream body.
Furthermore, carbohydrates are quickly broken down into glucose absorbed by the body. When you add carbohydrates with protein to your diet, you can speed up your digestion and, thus, increase protein absorption.
Get Protein Before and After Workouts.
Give your body ample protein or amino acids to absorb by consuming protein before and after workouts. Eating suitable proteins can boost your muscle-building needs. Think of food as a protein that can help you absorb more protein and help in muscle building.
Consider Eating In Small Portions.
Consider the calories and macronutrients in the food you eat. There’s a high chance you’re consuming too much protein from food and supplements. Doing this can make it difficult for your body to digest the nutrients you eat.
Remember that there’s a specific limit to how much protein your body can consume in a sitting period. So, use this knowledge by eating in small portions, ensuring that your body consumes the right amount of protein.
Final Thoughts
Are you doing everything advised to you to get your muscle gains, e.g., putting in hours at the gym, getting enough sleep, and eating high-protein foods, but your body still isn’t gaining the muscles you’re training? If so, then this might be because your body isn’t absorbing the protein you eat.
If you’ve researched how to boost your muscle growth, then you probably already know that protein consumption is essential. The reality is not every high-protein food you intake can be digested by your body. You have to abide by certain hours and tips to ensure that you can maximize your protein absorption. Use the information above to maximize and help your body take the protein it needs.
