HoldsUp

FoundMyFitness · 2024-07-30 · Rhonda Patrick (host), Luc van Loon

Dr. Luc Van Loon: Optimizing Protein Intake & Distribution for Muscle Growth

65 research-tied claims examined: 1 contradicted 4 overstated 4 context 49 supported 7 unverified

4

Needs context

0:29:47Rhonda Patrick (host)needs contextmoderate

NHANES dietary survey data indicates that in the United States, protein intake is skewed towards the evening meal, with Americans consuming about three times as much protein at dinner compared to breakfast or lunch.

"where people are eating the majority of their protein is skewed towards their evening meal, their last meal of the day. And um in in in most cases, at least with respect to this NHANES data, it's about three times the amount of protein in their in their evening meal versus their morning meal or even their afternoon meal." (said at 0:29:47)

Dietary intake data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and related nutritional literature consistently show a skewed within-day protein distribution in the United States, with protein intake concentrated at dinner. In typical US adult dietary patterns, dinner provides roughly three times as much protein as breakfast (e.g., ~40–50 g versus ~10–15 g). However, claiming that dinner protein is also three times higher than lunch ('afternoon meal') is an overstatement; lunch typically provides roughly 20–30 g of protein, making dinner about 1.5 to 2 times higher than lunch rather than 3-fold higher.

0:30:39Luc van Loonneeds contextmoderate

A single meal containing 20 grams of high-quality protein maximizes muscle protein synthesis for up to 4 to 6 hours.

"if you consider that a single meal containing 20 grams of a high-quality protein maximizes muscle protein synthesis for up to 4 to 6 hours, then it makes the most sense that every main meal throughout today is an anabolic stimulus" (said at 0:30:39)

Dose-response tracer studies in healthy young adults show that ~20 g (or ~0.25-0.30 g/kg) of high-quality, rapidly digested protein is sufficient to maximize myofibrillar and mixed muscle protein synthesis (MPS) at rest and after isolated resistance exercise. However, higher amounts (up to 40 g) can stimulate higher rates of MPS following whole-body resistance exercise or in older adults. Furthermore, the acute elevation of MPS following an isolated 20 g dose of fast-digesting protein typically peaks around 60-90 minutes and returns toward baseline by 2-3 hours (the 'muscle full' effect), whereas complex mixed meals or larger doses may sustain aminoacidemia and whole-body protein balance for 3-5 hours.

1:45:38Rhonda Patrick (host)needs contextmoderate

Small amounts of hydrolyzed collagen powder provided in pill form reduce pain and inflammation in clinical trials of patients with arthritis.

"there's been a few studies looking at like very small amounts of hydrolyzed collagen powder, I mean amounts that you would get in a pill, in people with—giving them either the hydrolyzed collagen powder or a placebo in people with arthritis. And the very, very small amount of hydrolyzed collagen powder was having an effect on reducing some of their—a lot of it's subjective, but there was also some inflammation that was reduced." (said at 1:45:38)

The speaker conflates two different types of collagen supplements evaluated in clinical trials for osteoarthritis. Clinical trials demonstrate that collagen peptide and hydrolyzed collagen supplementation significantly reduces osteoarthritis pain as well as inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). However, hydrolyzed collagen supplements require multi-gram daily doses (typically 5 to 10 grams), which are usually consumed as powders dissolved in liquids. In contrast, the small pill-form doses referenced by the host (such as 40 mg daily) refer to undenatured (native) type II collagen (UC-II), which operates via a different formulation and immune mechanism than hydrolyzed collagen peptides.

2:06:56Luc van Loonneeds contexthigh

Growth hormone, especially when combined with anabolic steroids, increases connective tissue protein synthesis.

"we know that, especially from abuse of course, that growth hormone, in combination with, for example, anabolic steroids can help you with the connective tissue protein synthesis" (said at 2:06:56)

Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) robustly stimulates collagen and connective tissue protein synthesis in human tendons and skeletal muscle, without increasing myofibrillar (contractile) protein synthesis. However, attributing connective tissue synthesis especially to the combination with anabolic steroids is misleading: anabolic androgenic steroids primarily increase myofibrillar protein synthesis rather than connective tissue synthesis, and high doses of anabolic steroids have been shown in animal and human studies to alter collagen remodeling, decrease collagen synthesis enzymes, or increase tendon stiffness and rupture risk.

Unverified means no publication matching the claim was located; it does not prove the claim false. Spotted an error? See the corrections policy - disputes from the people quoted are prioritized.