Published April 5, 2023 Why is 30g of protein at breakfast so key for metabolic health, women’s hormones, and insulin resistance?To put it simply: under 30g in one meal, you’re still getting valuable amino acids and blood sugar balancing benefits. But as soon as you hit 30g or more, you’re actually STIMULATING your muscle mass!My doctor, Dr. Garbrielle Lyon, who learned from her mentor Dr. Donald Layman, taught me that your first meal and last meal should have at least 30g of protein, as this is the threshold that stimulates muscle protein synthesis (MPS). We discuss this further in our podcast episode linked here. WHAT IS MUSCLE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS? MPS is what allows us to create new, and even protect existing muscle tissue, which we know is the most insulin sensitive tissue in the body (and your best bet at reversing and preventing things like PCOS or insulin resistance).MPS is also stimulated by resistance / weight training, when the muscles are physically challenged, but when it comes to reversing chronic disease (especially as we age) we want to be stimulating protein synthesis both through training AND diet. It’s like a life hack for a double whammy so that your exercise is 2x as effective. WHY HITTING 30g OF PROTEIN MATTERS: In order to stimulate muscle protein synthesis through diet, Dr. Donald Layman discovered after YEARS of research in his lab that it takes a threshold of 30g of protein in one sitting (per meal) or more. This data point is extremely valuable because beforehand, we didn’t know the goal we wanted to hit per meal with scientific certainty. MPS maxes out at around 50g per meal, so shoot for 30-50!Another benefit of hitting 30g specifically at breakfast is satiation. Some animals, including us, exhibit “protein prioritization,” meaning we will naturally want to feed until our protein needs are met, even if that means going over our caloric needs.By front-loading protein, I have found that my brain is less fixated on food, I’m fuller for longer, and I’ve been able to stop binge eating in the evenings because my needs are met! (There is an emotional regulation piece to the last part too, but protein in the morning really “flipped a switch” in my brain).
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