The "Muscle Full" Effect
For years, nutrition textbooks taught the "Muscle Full" hypothesis. The idea was that muscle protein synthesis (MPS) caps out at around 20-30g of protein. Consuming more than that in one sitting was considered "wasted"—either oxidized for energy or stored as fat.
This theory made life miserable for athletes, forcing them to eat small meals every 3 hours to "maximize gains."
The Game Changer (2023)
In December 2023, a study published in Cell Reports Medicine changed everything. Researchers led by Jorn Trommelen conducted a highly controlled trial using "quadruple isotope tracers" (the most accurate way to track amino acids in the body).
The Experiment: They gave healthy young men a post-workout drink containing either:
- 25g Protein (The standard "optimal" dose).
- 100g Protein (A "feast" dose). They then measured blood and muscle markers for 12 hours.
The Results: No Upper Limit
The findings were unambiguous:
- The 25g Group: MPS spiked and then dropped back to baseline within a few hours.
- The 100g Group: MPS spiked higher and stayed elevated for the full 12 hours.
Key Quote: "The anabolic response to protein ingestion... has no upper limit in magnitude and duration."
How Is This Possible?
Your body is smarter than we thought. When you ingest a massive bolus of protein, your gastrointestinal tract detects the nutrient density and slows down digestion. Instead of flooding the blood all at once (which would be wasteful), your gut acts as a "slow-release" reservoir, dripping amino acids into your system over 12+ hours. This sustains the muscle-building signal long after the meal is over.
The Evolutionary Perspective
This mechanism makes sense evolutionarily. Humans are "intermittent feeders." Our ancestors would feast on a large kill (consuming hundreds of grams of protein at once) and then fast for days. If we could only use 30g of that feast, our species would have died out from muscle atrophy.
The WellFact Protocol
You have freedom.
- If you like Intermittent Fasting: You can eat all your protein in 1 or 2 big meals. You aren't "losing gains."
- If you like 6 meals a day: That works too.
- The Goal: Hit your total daily protein target (e.g., 1.6–2.2g per kg of body weight). How you distribute it is up to you.