How concerned should you be with PDCAAS?
I’ve talked about this topic now three times – so clearly, it’s important.
The primary concern when it comes to protein is total grams consumed per day. You should be eating at least 0.8g × body weight per day if you’re serious about building muscle.
The second concern should be spacing out your meals adequately. Consuming larger portions of protein can extend the window of muscle protein synthesis. However, for most people, aiming for four meals per day is ideal.
The next thing to consider is the quality of your protein, which is where this score – PDCAAS (Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score) – comes into play.
I set my coaching clients a goal of at least 0.8g of protein per pound of body weight each day. If a client is exceeding this amount, I’m less concerned with PDCAAS, because different proteins have different amino acid profiles. When you eat a variety of protein sources, you consume a broad range of amino acids. As long as these amino acids are present, the protein will be bioavailable.
So, when you’re consistently hitting your protein goal and eating a variety of sources, PDCAAS becomes less of a concern.
But if you’re struggling to hit your protein target each day – and a portion of that protein is coming from low-PDCAAS products like Kodiak Cakes or Built Puffs – then PDCAAS becomes more important.
First, you’re not eating enough protein to begin with. Second, the protein you are eating may be limited by what’s called a rate-limiting amino acid, meaning it lacks certain essential amino acids that prevent the rest of the protein from being fully utilized by the body.
#shorts
