Protein For Weight Loss & Body Composition Maintenance
By: Emma Fleming
Protein for Weight Loss and Body Composition Maintenance
What’s the best way to lose weight, improve/maintain body composition, and enhance hormone levels? Protein. With a protein-rich diet, it is easier to achieve satisfaction - and, therefore, not overeat - to build more muscle from exercise, burn more calories during rest, and balance hormones.
The evidence in support of protein is innumerable. An article called the “Effects of Dietary Protein on Body Composition in Exercising Individuals,” highlighted the benefits of protein in exercising individuals (those who have exercised for more than three months consecutively) and explained how the body generally functions and reacts to an increase in protein intake.
The basic recipe for weight loss is to take in fewer calories than you burn, which can be difficult. A huge help to satisfying hunger is protein consumption. A “fat mass reduction” can be seen through “enhanced resting and sleeping energy expenditure, elevated activity-related energy expenditure, increases in non-exercise activity thermogenesis, and a greater thermic effect of feeding relative to other macronutrients.” Now, what does that all mean? It is important to know that muscle burns more calories than fat does, so, basically, since protein aids in muscle growth, more calories are burned doing normal daily activities while the muscle is being built… Even when relaxing, the body burns more calories.
Protein induces more thermogenesis (heat production), leading to faster satiety than the other macronutrients (fats and carbohydrates), therefore, more effectively reducing fat mass. The overall benefit of adequate protein intake while exercising to build muscle is the ability to maintain healthier body composition.
Hormones - especially those produced by the thyroid - can either help or compromise fitness goals. If hormones are off-balance, these goals will be almost impossible to achieve. In my personal experience with hypothyroidism - when the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones to regulate the basal metabolic rate - I found that increasing my intake of high-quality protein helped me to stabilize my hormone levels. Since fat mass reduction has a big influence on metabolism, protein helps the thyroid hormone regulate the “resting energy expenditure,” as stated in the PubMed article “Thyroid Hormone Regulation of Metabolism” by Rashmi Mullur. The mutual relationship between metabolism and thyroid function can be influenced by protein consumption, making it important for overall health and fitness goals. With a properly functioning endocrine system (the system that regulates and produces hormones), weight loss and body composition goals are more easily attainable.
What can you do to increase protein in your diet? I recommend high-quality grass-fed meat or plant-based alternatives such as soy-protein products like tofu, tempeh, and edamame. Lentils, chickpeas, and vegan protein powders are also good sources of vegetarian protein, but animal protein is always going to have the most protein-to-serving ratio.
My favorite chocolate protein smoothie:
1/2 - 1 cup of ice
1/2 frozen banana
2 tbsp cacao powder
1 tsp maca powder (optional)
Handful raw spinach (optional)
1-2 scoops vanilla Orgain vegan protein powder
1/2 cup almond milk
Top with fresh chia seeds and banana slices□
About the Writer
Emma is an AFAA certified group fitness instructor, who is completing her degree in Kinesiology at California State University Northridge. As an advocate for preventative healthcare who applies the in-depth knowledge of the human movement system into her everyday practice, she aspires to improve herself while helping those around her.
Article Credits
Antonio, J., Candow, D. G., Forbes, S. C., Ormsbee, M. J., Saracino, P. G., & Roberts, J. (2020, June 25). Effects of dietary protein on body composition in exercising individuals. Nutrients. Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7353221/#B17-nutrients-12-01890
Mullur, R., Liu, Y.-Y., & Brent, G. A. (2014, April). Thyroid hormone regulation of metabolism. Physiological reviews. Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4044302/