Finally, researchers are able to support what many in the fitness industry have known for a very long time: “Doubling the recommended daily allowance of protein intake could help to protect against muscle loss during dieting and exercise related weight loss, say researchers.”
This research blatantly contradicts what the medical field has previously thought: that muscle-loss is inevitable with weight-loss. While traditional “weight-loss” and “diet” advice from doctors has always cautioned against eating more protein, those in the fitness industry from competitive bodybuilders to Olympic athletes have known for decades that reducing carbohydrate and increasing protein intake is key for successful and healthy weight-loss.
What happens if you don’t consume more protein during your weight-loss efforts? You’ll find yourself on a low-calorie, higher-carbohydrate nutrition plan while gradually losing muscle mass–the most valuable bodily tissue when it comes to maintaining a healthy metabolism because muscle burns more calories when at rest.
Here are 5 reasons why more protein will aid in your weight-loss efforts:
- Protein takes longer to digest. While carbohydrates begin the digestion process from the moment they come in contact with your saliva, protein will keep you feeling fuller longer because it takes longer to break down and use for energy.
- Digesting protein burns more calories. Breaking carbohydrates down into energy is easy and happens quickly, but the body actually burns more calories simply breaking down digesting protein!
- It doesn’t require nearly as much insulin. In order to use carbohydrates for fuel, the body needs insulin present, but this fat-storing hormone is also bound to store a significant portion of the carbohydrates you consume as body fat. Protein, on the other hand, can be broken down into glucose if the body needs to, but it requires very little insulin and is much less likely to be stored as body fat for this reason.
- Protein has very little impact on blood sugar. As mentioned above, protein can absolutely be converted into glucose but the quantity of glucose is very little compared to what results from actual carbohydrates. More protein and fewer carbs means better blood sugars.
- Ever heard of “essential amino acids”? These are the building blocks that make up protein, and they are literally essential to various functions in the body. The same goes for “essential fatty acids,” but you’ll never hear the phrase “essential carbohydrates” because your body can survive without any carbohydrates. This is possible because the body will, as mentioned above, create glucose from protein when necessary. If you’re trying to lose weight, limiting or reducing your essential protein is not a good idea, and finally, the right research has been done to support this knowledge.
For more on carbohydrates, check out these links: