The increase of glomerular filtration rate after a 90-gram oral protein load was determined in 9 healthy individuals by simultaneous measurements of both creatinine (Ccr) and inulin (Cin) clearances, performed before and every 30 min during 4 h after the meat meal. This protein load resulted in a short 26% increase of Cin at 90 min, and a sustained 29% increase of Ccr from 90 to 240 min after load. Individual peak values of Ccr occurred later than those of Cin (Ccr: 189 +/- 19 vs. Cin: 127 +/- 19 min; p = 0.023). These discrepancies were related to an increase of serum creatinine, and a subsequent increase of the net tubular excretion of creatinine which accounted for up to 15% of the urinary creatinine. The creatinine content of red meat could lead to overestimation of renal functional reserve when measured by creatinine clearance only.