# MPS refractory period **URL:** \ **Category:** Nutrition Q&A \[Moderated\]\ **Created:** [September 23, 2020, 1:33pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/mps-refractory-period/9551 "2020-09-23T13:33:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Erik\_Johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9dc877/32.png) [@Erik\_Johnson](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Erik_Johnson)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 1:33pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/mps-refractory-period/9551/1 "2020-09-23T13:33:58Z")
Hi Jordan, in your article on 7 Rules to Optimise Protein Intake, you mention “_Every time a large enough dose of protein is ingested, i.e. one that provides enough leucine and EAA’s to push the MPS reaction over the edge, there’s a 3-5 hour refractory period that must transpire before another dose of protein (at a meal/shake/etc) will yield another bout of MPS.”_ Do you have a ballpark estimate of the amount of protein required to push the MPS reaction over the edge? For example, would a cup of coffee with 100mg of milk (approximately 3gram protein) trigger it? Or are we talking more in the magnitude of 10+grams? - Eric ---
**Author:** ![Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/jordan_feigenbaum/32/1315_2.png) [@Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Jordan_Feigenbaum)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 3:41pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/mps-refractory-period/9551/2 "2020-09-23T15:41:21Z")
It’s a bit more complicated than that, but somewhere in the 15-20g protein range- in some cases less or more, depending on EAA content and the individual. That said, I would not factor this in AT ALL to any nutritional decision you make, as it really doesn’t matter in comparison to total daily calorie and protein intake. ---
**Author:** ![Erik\_Johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9dc877/32.png) [@Erik\_Johnson](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Erik_Johnson)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/mps-refractory-period/9551/3 "2020-09-23T15:57:18Z")
Thanks for replying Jordan. The reason I ask is that today, for example, I had blueberries and a coffee (with 100mg milk) half an hour before lifting. I completed my workout in an hour and a half, after which I ate my post workout meal (5 eggs, more blueberries, another 100mg milk). So my concern concern was that there was only 2 hours between the milk protein from the coffee and the post workout meal containing protein, and I didn’t want my post workout meal protein to “_contribute nothing to MPS and then, by definition- it would be stored away as energy -either glycogen or fat depending on other variables.”_ But it shouldn’t be an issue because it’s far below the 15-20gram range you mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/jordan_feigenbaum/32/1315_2.png) [@Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Jordan_Feigenbaum)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/mps-refractory-period/9551/4 "2020-09-25T17:21:15Z")
I wouldn’t worry about it at all. It’s all much more complicated than we want it to be so I don’t think it really matters. ---
**Author:** ![ceamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@ceamer](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/ceamer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 11:40am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/mps-refractory-period/9551/5 "2020-09-28T11:40:55Z")
I also have a question about the refractory period. Does the 3-5 hours between meals start with the first bite of food or when you finish your meal? ---
**Author:** ![Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/jordan_feigenbaum/32/1315_2.png) [@Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Jordan_Feigenbaum)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 4:24pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/mps-refractory-period/9551/6 "2020-09-28T16:24:17Z")
> [@ceamer](#): > > I also have a question about the refractory period. Does the 3-5 hours between meals start with the first bite of food or when you finish your meal? The refractory period is not 3-5 hours, but rather ~ 2.5-3’ish hours. It would start once the eating has stopped. That being said, none of this really matters and I would strongly, strongly advise against using any of this to make dietary decisions. ---
**Author:** ![Erik\_Johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9dc877/32.png) [@Erik\_Johnson](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Erik_Johnson)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 7:39am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/mps-refractory-period/9551/7 "2020-09-29T07:39:19Z")
Jordan, would it be accurate then to say the important thing is just to hit your protein macro goals (1.6-3.1g/kg) everyday; and when you u get the protein or how many meals you get it in, or the time between meals is unimportant? ---
**Author:** ![Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/jordan_feigenbaum/32/1315_2.png) [@Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Jordan_Feigenbaum)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/mps-refractory-period/9551/8 "2020-09-29T15:53:31Z")
> [@Erik\_Johnson](#): > > Jordan, would it be accurate then to say the important thing is just to hit your protein macro goals (1.6-3.1g/kg) everyday; and when you u get the protein or how many meals you get it in, or the time between meals is unimportant? Yes exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Erik\_Johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9dc877/32.png) [@Erik\_Johnson](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Erik_Johnson)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 5:50pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/mps-refractory-period/9551/9 "2020-09-29T17:50:04Z")
Got it, many thanks!