Does protein help speed up weight loss?
If you’ve been hanging around the fitness space for a while you’ll know that protein is kind of a big deal.
We need it to build muscle, recover from our training sessions, and some of you might also know that it has a very high satiety factor, helping us to feel fuller, thereby allowing us to be in a slight deficit without as much hunger, which is effective as a weight loss strategy.
So we know all these things about protein, yet it still remains the hardest macronutrient target for many athletes to hit.
This week’s blog we will be discussing some of the benefits to a high protein diet and how to increase your protein intake without it feeling like a chore.
What gives protein its super powers for athletes like us?
Protein can stop your metabolism from slowing down
It’s no secret athletes are often in and out of ‘cutting’ phases, whether it’s for a physique, performance or weight class goals. Athletes are not new to the world of weight loss. In fact, many athletes I work with, have been on many many diets, with varying levels of success.
The caveat? When we lose weight, we lose muscle, and when we lose lean body mass, our metabolisms slow down. This is why..
A. You can’t lose weight forever and …
B. Athletes often end up restricting food intake even more to keep the momentum going…. Not fun
When protein intake is adequate, during deficits, our bodies find it easier to retain muscle mass. Now you may be wondering why some people are able to actually build muscle or retain more muscle during deficits and there are a few things going on there.
Athletes that are ‘well trained’ or have experience in strength training will build muscle slower than athletes who are new to strength training, and during deficits well trained athletes are at higher risk of losing muscle mass.
In other words, the more experienced you are as a strength athlete the harder you have to work to keep the muscles from declining during deficits. Someone who is new to building muscle might actually be able to retain way more muscle during deep deficits without having to train like a beast.
So, the leaner you are, the harder you have to work, almost seems unfair doesn’t it?
I’m taking a detour here, so let’s return. Since you are at risk of losing muscle mass during deficits, making sure that you stay on top of your protein intake during deficits will help ensure that you minimise muscle loss.
Entering long deficits also aren’t helpful, so if you have been sitting in a deficit for 3 months, get out while you can. Increase your food intake so you can increase your performance. Your body will thank you for it.
So how much protein do you need? I never like to say anything conclusively because it depends on so many factors but here is a guide:
Women should aim for 0.7g-1.3g of protein per pound of body weight.
Men should aim for 0.8g-1.35
Why the wide gap? Because it depends on who you are as an athlete, whether you are currently dealing with an injury, what your goals are and what your training volumes are.
Ultimately different individuals will require different protein needs but the above numbers are just a guideline.
Protein increases the thermic effect of food
If you’re not familiar with the thermic effect of food, this refers to the energy it requires for your body to absorb, digest or metabolise a food item.
Protein increases the thermic effect of feeding.
Research has evidence that increasing protein can actually increase our energy expenditure after we eat. Pretty cool huh? In fact protein uses 20-30% of its energy for metabolism and storage, whereas carbs only use 5-10%, while fats only require 0-3% (Leidy et al, 2015).
In simple terms, eating higher protein meals actual require your body to use more energy than when eating carbs and fats.
Protein helps you to feel fuller
One of the first things I get my athletes to do when they work with me is to increase their protein intake. Most athletes think they are already eating enough protein, but on closer inspection, many aren’t eating enough for their volume of training, and let’s be honest now, a slice of pizza is way more exciting than a dry turkey breast, amiright?
So how does protein actually help you feel fuller?
There are many hormones that protein directly interacts with that sends signals to the brain to tell it that you are full.
During digestion, Cholecystokinin (CCK) for example tells the pancreas that the small intestine is ready for pancreatic enzymes. CCK also helps with satiety, it indirectly tells the brain that you’re full and that you should wait before eating something else.
Peptide YY (PYY3-36) is another hormone that is released in the hours following a meal. It directly sends messages to the brain to suppress appetite so that stomach motility (movement of food through the body) slows down while it gets to work by increasing water and electrolyte absorption in the colon.
Meals that are high in protein cause PYY3-36 to increase the most. In practical terms this means that the more protein you eat, the fuller you will feel.
So if you need help in controlling your appetite, increasing protein is a sure fire way to help you portion control.
Now that we know how important protein is, the next step is to find a strategy where you can increase your protein intake without feeling like you’re eating rubber.
Ways to increase your protein intake…
If you need ideas on how to make high protein desserts, I’ve got a free recipe book you can download here.
Supplement with shakes or get creative making desserts
In the button above, I’ve included a link to a little recipe book I made that contains high protein desserts just to get you started.
If you exercise, you most definitely should be supplementing with some sort of protein shake. I remember the days when I used to refuse protein powders because they were “too processed”. That resulted in body not recovering well enough, under fueling and losing muscle mass, not a combination you want if your goal is to increase performance or build lean body mass.
Choose real sources of protein
While peanut butter may contain protein and taste amazing, it doesn’t quite contain enough protein. In order to hit your protein targets in PB you’d have to eat way more fats than you actually need in a day.
Get into the habit of eating 1 hand portion of lean protein with every single meal, even when you’re snacking.
Make a list of go-to sources of protein and put it by your fridge so you always remember to eat it.
Carry no-cook protein snacks with you through the day
When clients come to me for help they often think that hitting their macro targets requires hours of prep in the kitchen, and while that certainly helps, it’s not a requirement.
You most definitely do not need to be a pro chef to hit your targets, in fact you don’t even have to like cooking, although I do recommend cooking every once in a while if not to save money. Cuz ya know, being an athlete can be a pretty expensive hobby.
Here are some great protein snacks you can carry around that either don’t require cooking or very little:
Smoked salmon
Tuna
Boiled eggs
Chicken or turkey ham
Protein powders
Beef jerky
High protein snacks…
Beef jerky make delicious and convenient snacks.
Takeaways
Protein has many important properties, and more so for athletes that train at high volume. For athletes trying to lose weight, protein is the difference between quality weight loss and muscle loss.
Weight loss = muscle loss = slower metabolism = harder to sustain weight loss = endless cycle of dieting.
Protein not only helps you retain muscle during deficits but it can also help you manage your hunger, plus it increases the thermic effect of food.
So yes, while weight loss does require you to be in a calorie deficit, protein can help make that process much more manageable.
Resources
Heather J Leidy, Peter M Clifton, Arne Astrup, Thomas P Wycherley, Margriet S Westerterp-Plantenga, Natalie D Luscombe-Marsh, Stephen C Woods, Richard D Mattes, The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 101, Issue 6, June 2015, Pages 1320S–1329S, https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.084038
Eisenstein J, Roberts SB, Dallal G, Saltzman E. High-protein weight-loss diets: are they safe and do they work? A review of the experimental and epidemiologic data. Nutr Rev. 2002 Jul;60(7 Pt 1):189-200. doi: 10.1301/00296640260184264. PMID: 12144197.
Halton TL, Hu FB. The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: a critical review. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Oct;23(5):373-85. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2004.10719381. PMID: 15466943.
