From: rachim_t1@verifone.com
Newsgroups: misc.fitness
Subject: Re: Protien consumption
Date: 18 Nov 92 14:02:42 -1000
Organization: VeriFone Inc., Honolulu HI

In article <1992Nov5.194950.544@fcom.cc.utah.edu>, freier@mail.physics.utah.edu (rodney james freier) writes:
> In article <1992Nov5.173403.16568@cbfsb.cb.att.com>, mmm1@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (mark.m.miller) writes:
> |>    I would like some input as to the amount
> |> of protien the body can digest and in what
> |> kind of time period it is used. I have read
> |> that the body can only digest up to 30 gm 
> |> of protien at each meal. Which to my understanding
> |> this means that anything over this amount will
> |> not be utilized by the body.  My friend believes
> |> that this is not true. His reasoning is that if
> |> you intake say 50 gm of protein at say noon and
> |> you do not go to the bathroom until 4:00, the body
> |> will utilize all of the protien. But if you go to the
> |> bathroom at 12:45 you will loose the unused portion
> |> of protien. This does not sound right. Send any replies
> |> to the net so that others can read and reply. (or should
> |> I say fight it out).
> |> 
> |>                                 c-ya Mark
> |> .
> |> 
>      I'm no expert, but here's what I know.   I welcome corrections and additional
> information. 
> 
>   --  I'm pretty sure the Going-To-The-Bathroom-Affects-Protein-Absorption idea
> is dead wrong.  Protien is unique among the nutrients in that it contains nitrogen.
> This nitrogen is necessary for building tissue.  If the body needs all of the protien
> eaten recently, it will use very nearly all of it for tissue maintenance and will not
> destroy and excrete much. 
>       If the body is not going to use protien for tissue mainenance or construction, 
> it has to "deaminate" it.  Once protien is broken down, the nitrogen ends up in uric
> acid, which is a toxin, and is then excreted.  (You can tell how much nitrogen your
> body is getting rid of by how yellow your urine is.)
>       There are two situations that will make the body deaminate protien:
>   1)  getting too much protien,  and 2) not getting enough carbohydrates. 
>   In the first case, your body will break down the excess protien, store some of the 
> resulting stuff as fat or burn it for energy, and excrete the nitrogen.  In the 
> second case, WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE GETTING ENOUGH PROTIEN, the body will have to 
> deaminate some to supply the brain with glucose.  It will even destroy muscle 
> tissue to get this glucose, if it has to.  
> 
>       Now, the GTTBAPA idea is wrong because the body will deaminate protien
> whenever it needs to.  The kidneys can remove the uric acid and store it in the
> bladder REGARDLESS of when you choose to go to the bathroom.
> 
>    --  Next, the body's ability to absorb protien is not as constant as you suggest.
> The body will absorb more protien when it needs to.  For example, a person healing
> from an injury will absorb more protien because tissues need to be rebuilt.  Also,
> protien absorption is the highest about 2-3 hours after strenuous weight-bearing
> exercise.  (Weight bearing exercise actually causes small tears in the muscle fibers,
> so this is equivalent to the first example.  Muscle growth is the body's way of
> healing the injuries and preventing them from being as bad next time.  This is
> why you end up so sore after your first workout after a long period without exercise,
> and why the following workouts are not as bad.)
> 
>      So, if you want to maximize your protien absorption, schedule protien rich
> meals after exercise and eat LOTS of complex carbohydrates throughout the day.
> Use your urine as an indicator.  If it's clear or light yellow much of the time, 
> then you are getting enough complex carbohydrates.  If it's usually dark yellow, you 
> are either eating too much protien or not getting enough carbs.
> 
> Rod
> freier@mail.physics.utah.edu
sorry for including all that.
All I want to ask here is, I notice that the color of my pee varies with the
amount of fluid I drink.  I can start the day with dark yellow, drink a gallon
of water (well, maybe a quart) and my next pee will be considerably lighter.
How does that fit in with the amount of protein/carbs theory?
-RT
Newsgroups: misc.fitness