Protein absorption limit in one meal

[Yum1]

Hi, i’m a newbie. After a week loving Huel so far - the U/U 3.0 is a great base and i find it nice even with just a spoon of cinnamon, so look forward to playing more with the flavours. (I really don’t like the smell of it so was surprised i actually like the taste).

I’m used to having 2 meals a day, doing 16:8 IF. I’ve always struggled with getting enough protein via food but never really looked into shakes as i can’t have whey and have some insulin resistance so i just got overwhelmed and avoided the whole thing but i want to get healthier and stronger now.

So my question is if it’s true that 35g(ish) protein is the maximum one can absorb in one sitting (what is the time window considered for one sitting?) then how do people who do 2MAD or even OMAD manage to get more than say 70grams of protein absorbed a day? Are they just wasting their time and energy?

What option would be better in terms of protein absorption and for my insulin resistance?

• having 2MAD where i have Huel UU 3.0+ some fruit /nuts/ veggies for breakfast and then a normal dinner (including 30-40grams protein) + a Huel protein drink with it as desert? or
• forgetting 2MAD and having the same breakfast, then Huel protein for a snack (with maybe some nuts to mellow the insulin spike from straight liquid protein? Is this needed?) and then a normal dinner?

I’m also considering trying the Black UU - will this have more of an insuligenic effect on my body or less then the UU 3.0 if drank without any other food alongside it for say breakfast? What’s people’s experience in terms of satiation between the two? Do you feel fuller after the Black?

I don’t know if it’s relevant but my profile is;
Female, 5’3 and a half inches tall, 8 stone/112 Ib/50.8kg.
And i’m thinking of macros being 30% Protein/33% good fats/37%carbs.
This via a food app for my moderate exercise level says 1749 calories for maintenance weight, and a whopping 131grams protein!/64grams fat/161 grams carbs.
I was eating a High fat, low carb diet to manage the insulin resistance but i’ve recently discovered my blood pressure is too high (i slipped from healthy fats into eating more unhealthy) so I’m trying to reverse this with a more high protein, moderate fat and moderate carb spread. This is why i’ve become interested in Huel.

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

[Dan_Huel]

Hey, welcome to Huel!

@Yum1

So my question is if it’s true that 35g(ish) protein is the maximum one can absorb in one sitting (what is the time window considered for one sitting?) then how do people who do 2MAD or even OMAD manage to get more than say 70grams of protein absorbed a day? Are they just wasting their time and energy?

No, there’s often confusion around the amount of protein that can be absorbed/utilised by the body’s muscles and the amount of protein that the whole body can absorb (via the small intestine).

The figure you’re quoting refers to the former. However, protein isn’t just used to build and repair muscle. As you’ve alluded to it can also be used for energy, hair, skin and nails are all made up of protein and so is most of the immune system. If the body didn’t absorb all the protein we ate it would be the number one weight loss miracle.

Try to find an eating pattern that works for you, rather than following restrictive apps. If you want further support I’d recommend having a 1:1 session with a Registered Nutritionist or Dietitian, particularly if you’re trying to improve your insulin sensitivity.

[Kestrel]

@Yum1

Female, 5’3 and a half inches tall, 8 stone/112 Ib/50.8kg.
And i’m thinking of macros being 30% Protein/33% good fats/37%carbs.
This via a food app for my moderate exercise level says 1749 calories for maintenance weight, and a whopping 131grams protein!/64grams fat/161 grams carbs.
I was eating a High fat, low carb diet to manage the insulin resistance but i’ve recently discovered my blood pressure is too high (i slipped from healthy fats into eating more unhealthy) so I’m trying to reverse this with a more high protein, moderate fat and moderate carb spread. This is why i’ve become interested in Huel.

Upfront I’m gonna second @Dan_Huel that you should talk to a registered dietician.

With that in mind, my unqualified random internet advice is that you have the wrong idea about how insulin resistance works as well as how to treat it. (But you should really get a second opinion from someone who is qualified to tell you this.)

First of all at 50kgs your protein intake requirements are going to be really low. Most people need 0.8g per 1kg of body weight, so in your case that will be 40g of protein a day. Even if you were on an extremely calorie-restrictive diet, on Huel you should be exceeding that requirement with tremendous ease. Even if you ate only Huel Bars (the regular kind, not the new high-protein ones) which have the lowest protein content per-calorie, you’d be getting enough protein by eating just 700 calories a day (3.5 bars, 12g protein each, 42g protein total, 700 calories.) Assuming you’re getting more calories than that, especially if you’re eating any Huel product other than the white-version bars at all, you are going to be exceeding your protein intake requirements by far.

Elderly people need slightly higher protein intake due to muscle degradation, as do athletes. But even then the absolute maximum should be 2g of protein per 1kg body weight, and that’s if you’re doing really intense workouts day in, day out. 1.2g protein per 1kg body weight is generally the upper limit for normal people to combat ageing or to help with sports training. So … 60g protein max for you. 80g if you want to really push it and are training for the Olympics. More than that not only isn’t useful for you but there’s decent evidence out there it can actually be dangerous, as it increases your body’s production of IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor) which is linked to numerous chronic diseases including diabetes.

Carbs aren’t the enemy. You’re right that low-fat is a good idea if you have high blood pressure & insulin resistance (of course all things in moderation, you should still aim for at least 20% of your calories coming from fat to assist in vitamin absorption and preserve organ function). But the demonisation of carbohydrates for diabetics has been so thoroughly debunked and is bad science, rooted in oversimplification of what macronutrients are. Avoiding sugary snacks and high GI foods is a good idea; but fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which are rich in fibre as well as carbs, actually reduce the risk of diabetes and help to combat insulin resistance. The carb content in Huel products, or even in something like brown rice & lentils, is not the same as eating Hovis white bread with sugary jam, or drinking a Coca Cola. You really shouldn’t worry about it (frankly you should worry a lot more about high fat & high protein).

At any rate, good luck with the Metformin — I’m on it as well for PCOS and have found it very helpful for weight regulation as well as management of my condition. There are even studies that show it increases life expectancy, even in non-diabetics! A wonderful drug.