If weight loss is your goal, squeezing extra protein into your diet might be beneficial. That’s because a higher protein diet can increase feelings of fullness, which can help prevent overeating, according to Rachel Adamkowski, MPH, RD, a sports dietitian and Assistant Director of Football Nutrition for the University of Florida.
Research also suggests that protein could alter levels of certain hormones in the body that control hunger and appetite, which may translate to decreased food intake.
Stacy Sims, MSC, PhD, an exercise physiologist who specializes in nutrition science for women, tells mindbodygreen that increasing your intake of protein could also improve your body composition by reducing fat mass while preserving lean body mass. “With higher protein intake, even if [your] calorie intake is too low, the circulating amino acids stimulate the brain to keep and build lean mass,” she explains, noting that this can lead to the breakdown of fat.
Plus, Sims says that protein can also boost your energy expenditure, or the number of calories that you burn each day at rest, which is partly because protein requires more energy to digest than carbs or fat. “Protein intake [also] prevents a decrease in fat-free mass, which helps maintain resting energy expenditure despite weight loss,” notes Sims.
Of course, loading your plate with plenty of protein isn’t a sure-fire solution for weight loss. This is because there are lots of other factors at play, including how much you’re eating and moving, and what the rest of your diet looks like.
At the very minimum, individuals should be getting 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (g/kg/bw), which is the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein. However, this is likely far short of what active individuals will need. Many experts now recommend getting roughly 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg/bw. This comes out to upwards of 100 grams of protein a day for most people.
Rachael Ajmera, MS, RD
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