Snacks #015: Why you need to eat a whole 25g protein in one sitting

Okay, to be more accurate, you actually need about 2.5g of leucine... and you GENERALLY get 2-3g of leucine from a 25-35g serving of high-quality protein.

Keep in mind that not all proteins are equal & not all types contain enough leucine (more on this later...)

Leucine is an amino acid that stimulates muscle growth, otherwise known as muscle protein synthesis (MPS).

You have to cross the threshold of leucine intake in one sitting to trigger MPS, aka. You need to eat enough in one go. Just a bite of protein food won’t cut it.

Which foods are best for leucine?

I mentioned ‘high-quality’ protein is best, but what does this mean?

High quality means that the food contains ALL of the nine essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein) that your body needs.

Essential vs. ‘non-essential’ amino acids

There are two types of amino acids: ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential’.

• Essential means it is essential for you to eat them because your body can’t make them
• Non-essential means your body can create them, you don’t need to eat them.

Simplified:
High Biological Value proteins are either:

• Derived from animals & seafood:
  meat
  dairy
  eggs

OR if they are plant-based:

• soy protein-based (tofu, tempeh, soy milk)
• quinoa

These foods contain ALL of the nine essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein) that your body needs.

Here's the portions you need to stimulate MPS:

The takeaway:

Try to incorporate protein-rich foods in big enough portions (the portions outlined above) 3-6 times per day, depending on your preferred eating schedule and your protein requirements. 

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