Dietary Protein During Caloric Restriction

Giraffe

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A Systematic Review of Dietary Protein During Caloric Restriction in Resistance Trained Lean Athletes: A Case for Higher Intakes

This review included only studies with adult lean athletes who performed resistance training during weight loss. " Training experience ranged from elite athletes and competitive bodybuilders to healthy adults performing resistance training."

In a nutshell:

too little protein = loss of fat-free mass (FFM)
fast weight loss = higher loss of FFM (most powerful variable!)
low body fat = more benefit from high protein intake
(Protein needs are not proportional to body weight, but to FFM.)
more experienced athletes = less likely to avoid loss of FFM
higher training intensity = increased demand for protein

"It appears that FFM losses can be avoided only in populations with less resistance training experience of higher body fat when following slower weight loss regimens using current sports nutrition recommendations for protein intake (1.2–2.0g/kg)."

In one study the athletes gained muscles and strength while loosing fat at a slow rate.

Effect of two different weight-loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletes.

"When weight loss (WL) is necessary, athletes are advised to accomplish it gradually, at a rate of 0.5-1 kg/wk. However, it is possible that losing 0.5 kg/wk is better than 1 kg/wk in terms of preserving lean body mass (LBM) and performance. The aim of this study was to compare changes in body composition, strength, and power during a weekly body-weight (BW) loss of 0.7% slow reduction (SR) vs. 1.4% fast reduction (FR)."

"The diet in both groups was a low-fat diet (~20% of total energy intake), and the mean carbohydrate intakes were 3.5 ± 0.7 g/kg (SR) and 3.2 ± 0.6 g/kg (FR), which is less than recommended (ACSM, 2009). The mean protein intakes were 1.6 ± 0.47 and 1.4 ± 0.27 g/
kg in SR and FR, respectively, within the recommended protein intake for athletes (ACSM, 2009)."


"This leads to a general suggestion that athletes who want to gain LBM and increase strength- and power-related performance during a weight-loss period combined with strength training should aim for a weekly weight loss of 0.7% of BW, whereas athletes who only want to keep LBM might increase their weekly weight-loss rate to 1.0–1.4% of BW."

You find the full text if you enter the title of the study in a search engine.

+++++

"A follow-up study examining the long term results in the same group of athletes six to 12 months later found the athletes had returned to their normal resistance training volume (half of that in the previous study) and their FFM had decreased back to baseline (Garthe et al., 2011b)."
 

superhuman

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Higher Compared With Lower Dietary Protein During An Energy Deficit With Exercise Promotes Lean Gain

They compared 1.2g/kg vs 2.4g/kg and found 2.4g/kg did a much better job at reducing fat and increasing lean mass.

Whats your take on it @haidut since esp in deficit and high protein should make stress response higher etc

Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial

Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial full study
 
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superhuman

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[moderator edit: post moved from Generative Energy #23: Q&A - Weight Loss, Dating, Red Light, Authorities, And Starch (With Haidut) ]

@haidut once again great job and podcast.

1. I was wondering in terms of loosing fat and maintain muscle or even increase it when doing strength training.
There seem to be studies coming out supporting 2.4g/kg protein produced better results vs 1.2g/kg.
Whats your take on it and do you think its more behind it then just the protein intake? like how much can sugar they are eating and if that can have an effect, etc ?
Have you looked at studies in terms of carb to protein ratio in terms of stress effect, cortisol etc from to much protein ?
Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial

2. Also in terms of loosing the fat, you have to setup a regimen that you daily are in a calorie deficit to loose the fat. Could you talk a little bit about how you would approach that?

3. I there anything that can positive or negatively effect DNL ? i know you said it will start to rise when liver and muscle glycogen are full, but is there anything one can do to make the excess turn to heat instead of converted to fat? like will caffeine, b1, niacinamide or other things have an effect on that process? i know DNP will but thats a little off topic.
 
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Giraffe

Giraffe

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They compared 1.2g/kg vs 2.4g/kg and found 2.4g/kg did a much better job at reducing fat and increasing lean mass.
Have a look at the rest of the diet. Fat in the the high-protein group (0.4 g/kg) vs. normal protein (0.9 g/kg).

protein 1.2 vs 2.4.GIF
 

superhuman

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@Giraffe nice observation and also note that carbs are a little lower in the low protein group as well. Strange setup, they took some carb out and protein out and replaced it with fat in the low protein group
 

Lejeboca

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Kinda belongs here, yet not about athletes:

Effect of a high-protein, very-low-calorie diet on body composition and anthropometric parameters of obese middle-aged women


A 4-6 mo study was conducted to examine effects of a very-low-calorie, high-protein diet and realimentation on energy expenditure, resting metabolic rate (RMR), and serum thyroid hormones of obese women aged 30-54 yr. Fifteen healthy women, greater than or equal to 126% ideal body weight, were placed on the diet (420 kcal/day) and lost an average of 1.1 kg/wk until a predetermined goal weight was attained. RMR, triiodothyronine (T3), and reverse T3 decreased significantly (p less than 0.05). Thyroxine remained unchanged. Upon gradual realimentation onto solid foods, all metabolic parameters increased significantly within 5 wk toward pre-diet baseline values, but RMR (kcal/h) and T3 values remained significantly below pre-study values. Estimates of mean energy expenditure, utilizing a technique based on energy intake and body composition changes, averaged 1719 kcal/day during the diet period.

These thyroid findings have been referenced elsewhere [Energy metabolism after 2 y of energy restriction: the biosphere 2 experiment - PubMed] as a possible reason for keeping sleeping metabolic rate (SMR) low as far as 6 mo after caloric restriction (CR) exit, and in which CR wasn't extreme (~15% body loss and ability to maintain physical energy levels for work during the 2 years of CR).

The above makes me think that T3 is a major factor to suffer in a CR, even on a high-nutrient CR.
 

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