Eat All the Protein You Want, Stay Lean

Introduction

Consuming a large amount of protein will not have a negative impact on your body fat levels. This article will explore the reasons behind this phenomenon.

The Myth and the Truth

Nearly every dietitian claims that excessive protein intake leads to increased body fat storage, similar to over - consumption of carbohydrates and fats, based on the "a calorie is a calorie" principle. However, this is completely unfounded. This misbelief might be the reason why many people struggle to make progress in their fitness journey. When aiming to lose weight by reducing calorie intake, most people also cut down on their protein consumption, treating protein as just another macronutrient that needs to be restricted for fat loss.

In reality, even if you consume up to 5.5 times the recommended daily allowance of protein, it won't cause additional fat gain, even if these extra protein - derived calories significantly increase your overall calorie intake. Instead, under the right circumstances, protein seems to have a protective effect against fat gain during periods of increased calorie intake and can also contribute to additional muscle mass.

Studies Demonstrating the Protective Effect of Protein

230 Grams of Protein, No Lifting, 7 Pounds of Lean Mass

Overfeeding carbohydrates and/or fat results in different body composition changes compared to overfeeding on protein. Dietary protein shows a protective effect against fat gain during overeating.

• Study Design: In one study, researchers randomly assigned subjects to one of three diets:

• Low - protein (5%): Approximately 47 grams of protein per day.

• Normal - protein (15%): Around 140 grams of protein per day.

• High - protein (25%): Roughly 230 grams of protein per day.

• All subjects were then "force - fed" 140% of their maintenance calories, which was about an extra 1,000 calories per day for 8 consecutive weeks. Carb intake was maintained at about 41 - 42% across all groups, while dietary fat percentages varied from 33% in the high - protein group to 44% and 52% in the normal - and low - protein groups, respectively.

• Study Results: After conducting dual X - ray absorptiometry (DXA), scientists found that although all subjects gained approximately the same amount of fat (with the high - protein group gaining slightly less than the other two groups), the high - protein group gained about 6.6 pounds of lean mass.

• Even though all three groups had similar fat gain, it's important to note that the participants were not resistance - trained and did no exercise during the study. The additional 6.6 pounds of lean mass for the high - protein group was significant, indicating that excess protein during overeating contributed to lean body mass gains, disproving the "a calorie is a calorie" theory held by some dietitians.

5.5 Times the Amount of Protein, This Time with Lifters

Dr. Joey Antonio aimed to "determine the effects of a very high protein diet (4.4 g/kg/d) on body composition in resistance - trained men and women."

• Study Design: Thirty healthy weight - lifting men and women were randomly assigned to a control (CON) group or a high - protein (HP) group. The CON group was instructed to maintain their training and dietary habits over an 8 - week period. The HP group was also to keep their training and dietary habits (same carb and fat intake) but was told to consume 4.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (about 5.5 times the RDA).

• Calculations showed that the high - protein group would ingest around 800 calories per day more than the control group, with all these additional calories coming from protein.

• Study Results: After 8 weeks, despite consuming about 800 extra calories per day from protein, the high - protein group experienced no changes in body weight, fat mass, or fat - free mass.

Rationalization of the Study Results

First Study (Bray, et al.)

The untrained subjects in the first study gained 6.6 pounds of lean mass simply by increasing their protein intake to about 230 grams per day without any exercise. This suggests that they initially lacked sufficient protein, casting doubt on the U.S. recommended daily amount of protein (about 63 grams for a 175 - pound person).

Antonio's Study

In Antonio's study, the high - protein group, despite consuming about 5.5 times the RDA for protein, did not gain any lean mass, let alone fat mass. This is because they were already exercising regularly. For trained individuals, it is very difficult to gain lean body mass without significant changes in their training program, especially within just 8 weeks. With a few more months and a bodybuilding - focused training plan, lean body mass gains would likely be observed.

Why Won't Protein Turn into Body Fat?

While protein can potentially turn into body fat, it is highly unlikely. Biochemically, converting dietary fat into body fat is relatively straightforward, and turning carbs into body fat is not much more difficult. However, converting protein into body fat is a complex process. It involves several biochemical and hormonal steps and is closely monitored by the liver, which distributes amino acids according to the body's metabolic needs (such as tissue breakdown, tissue synthesis, catabolism, anabolism, etc.). Therefore, it can be reasonably concluded that protein has a protective effect against fat gain during caloric surplus, especially when combined with weightlifting.

Practical Applications of This Information

• For Non - training Individuals: Regular, non - training people should likely discard the 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram RDA and aim for at least 50% more.

• For Lifters: Most lifters who want to add muscle but have been unsuccessful may need to increase their protein intake. While not necessarily 5.5 times the RDA, they may need more than what they previously thought was adequate. The additional calories from protein will not be converted into fat.

• Protein Sources: It is probably difficult to consume such a large amount of extra protein from whole - food sources alone. As the subjects in Antonio's study did, it is advisable to supplement whole - food protein choices with a quality protein powder, such as Metabolic Drive (available for purchase on Amazon). A simple approach is to adopt a protein - first eating strategy, like adding two 2 - scoop protein shakes to your daily diet. For more information, refer to: The Protein - First Diet Strategy.

References

• Antonio J et al. The effects of consuming a high protein diet (4.4 g/kg/d) on body composition in resistance - trained individuals. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014 May 12;11:19. PubMed: 24834017.

• Leaf A et al. The Effects of Overfeeding on Body Composition: The Role of Macronutrient Composition – A Narrative Review. Int J Exerc Sci. 2017;10(8):1275 - 1296. PMC: PMC5786199.

• Bray GA et al. Effect of protein overfeeding on energy expenditure measured in a metabolic chamber. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;101(3):496 - 505.