All about protein
There are many reasons why protein is considered the “king of the macros.” While many different strategies can be successful for your weight or fat loss goals, protein content is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a diet or nutrition plan.
To learn WHY and HOW… well, keep reading! 😉
How is protein digested?
Protein digestion begins when you first start chewing. There are two enzymes in your saliva called amylase and lipase. They mostly start breaking down carbs and fats, so once protein reaches your stomach, hydrochloric acid and enzymes called proteases break it down into smaller chains of amino acids. From your stomach, these smaller chains of aminos move into your small intestine where the breakdown to amino acids is complete. Then the amino acids are released into the bloodstream where they can travel throughout the body.
What does protein do?
Protein plays a key role in lots of processes in your body:
Protein transports oxygen, vitamins, and minerals to target cells in the body.
It plays both structural roles (bone, skin, and hair) and mechanical roles (cell division, sperm swimming, and muscle contractions).
Enzyme reactions - some proteins help catalyze chemical reactions without being destroyed in the process.
Hormones are made of either proteins or steroids. All of the hormones in the human body, except sex hormones and those made in the adrenal cortex, are proteins or protein derivatives.
Antibodies are large blood proteins produced by the lymphatic system in response to particular antigens.
It keeps fluid levels balanced in the body’s cells.
It helps maintain stable pH levels in bodily fluids.
How/why is protein important for fat loss?
While there are many benefits to dietary protein, there are four main areas that have direct effects on fat loss:
Satiety. The research indicates that higher-protein intakes tend to provide more satiety and less hunger. Protein increases hormones like PYY and GLP-1 that help you feel full and decreases levels of ghrelin that makes you feel hungry.
Lean mass. Protein helps preserve lean body mass during periods of caloric restriction. Our body can break down muscle if it needs energy or protein, but if we have extra in our diets it makes it less likely that our body will need to break down muscle to get it.
Thermic effect of food (TEF). TEF is the “cost” of digesting your food. Essentially, it takes some energy to break food down, digest it, and turn it into energy. Protein has the highest cost of all the three macronutrients. In one study, a high-protein diet increased the thermic effect of food by roughly 6-8 kcals/hour when compared to a low-protein diet, which may translate to about 50-75 extra calories burned a day.
Storage as body fat. During periods of fat loss, there are times where more energy is consumed than expended; so minimizing how much of that excess energy is stored as fat is important. Essentially, in order for protein to be stored as fat, it has to go through a much different biochemical process than either carbs or fats; making it much harder for protein to be stored as body fat. One study found that protein is stored as body fat with about 66% efficiency, while carbs showed 80% and fats showed 96%. So during a fat loss phase, overeating protein results in much less stored body fat than overeating on carbs or fats.
We’ve established that getting enough protein is crucial. Now the question becomes, how much protein do you need? A lot of that depends on you, your body, and your goals - whether they’re primarily related to weight/fat loss, performance, overall health, or something else. It also takes a bit of trial and error to see what works best.
And that’s something that our team of certified nutrition coaches can absolutely help you with! Learn more about our 1:1 nutrition coaching and one-time nutrition plans to see what kind of support is right for you.
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