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Tom Kane's avatar

Ben, your bank account analogy perfectly illustrates how muscle protein

synthesis actually works. It is a binary switch that requires a specific

threshold of amino acids to turn on, meaning a meager 14 grams at breakfast

leaves your body in a catabolic state after an overnight fast. You cannot

out-eat twelve hours of tissue breakdown by simply gorging on a massive steak at

eight o'clock at night.

DR Tom Kane

The Unabaker Speaks's avatar

Based on your info here, my gii ok multiplies more than 1.2g/kg. I’m 63kg, 74 years, and I’m getting around 106g per day from formula. The volume is about 1600ml of drink. I try to do 400g doses fours starting early 6-7am, and another by 10, then 2 and 5 or 6pm.

I think threshold crossing is happening. What’s missing is exercise now.

I can’t drink much after 7pm bc of serious GERD. Bedtime casein is likely not an option. Besides, 40g of casein is pretty huge. The stuff is gritty and it’s just a problem for me.

What’s frustrating is at this age: 1) hunger doesn’t rear its head, 2) relying on full meal replacement formula means I have to really focus or I miss a time window. Then play catch up and that can be troublesome keeping it down. 3) if I do anything, prep a meal for dinner for wife and friends, do a repair project at home, go out for necessary stuff that bridges two time windows, it’s easy to get off track. Hunger doesn’t remind me, geriatric entropy (haha) doesn’t help either.

I gotta get back on the bike.

Ben Jones MD PhD's avatar

It sounds like you’re hitting those protein/leucine thresholds several times a day. Given that you’re getting sufficient protein, bedtime casein may not add much anyway.

A limited appetite can be a real challenge. My mum rarely sat down to a meal she was looking forward to. Instead, they often felt like a challenge to be overcome.

I’ve added a protein shake at breakfast after realising how low in protein my otherwise healthy breakfast is. I used to make a ‘fancy shake’ with frozen fruit, but it always felt like too much early in the morning. Now it’s just protein powder and milk. It goes down in a few gulps without feeling like an extra meal.

So, when are you getting back on your bike? And maybe adding a few upper body strength exercises, too?

The Unabaker Speaks's avatar

A friend visits from UK next week. I bought some cycling shoes to fit him and will get him on a bike to learn about high end cycles, shifting, basic skill etc. that will be my catalyst. I’ve no real equipment other than small to 8kg dumbbells I used to rehab after shoulder repair. I guess that’ll have to do.