Nearly every nutritionist will inform you that consuming excess protein leads to additional storage of body fat, just like it can with excessive carbohydrates and fats. This is because, according to popular belief, a calorie is a calorie. However, this notion is simply not true and may be the reason why many individuals struggle to achieve their weight loss goals. When most people reduce their calorie intake to shed pounds, they also tend to decrease their protein consumption. They view protein as just another macronutrient that needs to be limited in order to lose fat.
However, the reality is that consuming a high amount of protein, even up to 5.5 times the recommended daily allowance, will not result in additional fat gain, even if it adds a significant number of calories to your diet. In fact, it appears to have a protective effect against fat accumulation during periods of increased calorie intake, while also promoting the development of additional muscle mass, provided the circumstances are appropriate.
For instance, in a study, participants were randomly assigned to follow one of three diets:
- Low protein (5%) - Approximately 47 grams per day
- Normal protein (15%) - About 140 grams per day
- High protein (25%) - Around 230 grams per day
These participants were then "force-fed" 140% of their maintenance calories, which equated to an extra 1,000 calories per day, for a continuous period of 8 weeks. The carbohydrate intake remained consistent at around 41-42% across all groups, while the dietary fat varied from 33% in the high protein group to 44% and 52% in the normal and low protein groups, respectively.
After conducting dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans, the researchers discovered that while all groups gained approximately the same amount of fat (with the high protein group gaining slightly less than the other two groups), the high protein group also gained approximately 6.6 pounds of lean mass.
You might be wondering, "Wait, if all three groups gained the same amount of fat, what about the protective effect of protein?" Well, the key takeaway from this study is that overfeeding on protein leads to different changes in body composition compared to overfeeding on carbohydrates or fats. Dietary protein seems to have a protective effect against fat gain during periods of overeating, which is a significant finding.
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