If losing weight, you need to increase your protein intake – this helps preserve lean muscle meaning you get leaner, instead of just “shrinking”, losing muscle, and staying chubby!

This double-blind randomized clinical trial on thirty-one overweight or obese, postmenopausal women, compared the relative effectiveness of protein supplementation compared with carb supplementation during weight-loss diets.

Women were divided into 2 groups – both being prescribed a reduced calorie diet (1,400 kcal/day; 15%, 65%, 30% energy from protein, carbohydrate, and fat, respectively) then being supplemented either with 2 scoops of whey protein, or maltodextrin (carbs) every day.
They did no exercise – so the additional carb wouldn’t have been useful to increase training intensity – eat for your training programme!
Those supplemented with protein lost more weight than the carb group (8.0% vs 4.1% body-mass) .

Although those on protein lost more weight and improved in a test of muscular function, these results should be interpreted carefully. They lost more muscle too!

The ideal would have been to incorporate exercise and then tap in carbs and protein depending on exercise intensity – the kind of thing we do here every day at Perform and Function! Our new regenerate programme considers everyone’s genetic type in their body-comp management programme!

http://www.yoursportsnutrition.com/proteins.html
http://www.sportsnutritionvlog.com/regenerate/
http://www.sportsnutritionvlog.com/nutritional-consultations/

Mojtahedi MC, Thorpe MP, Karampinos DC, Johnson CL, Layman DK, Georgiadis JG, Evans EM. (2011)
The Effects of a Higher Protein Intake During Energy Restriction on Changes in Body Composition and Physical Function in Older Women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. Jul 27. [Epub ahead of print]