Are there any other benefits besides a greater muscle mass of a comparatively high protein intake? I'm aware of three positive changes that take place in your body because of protein consumption. Read on to learn more about protein's favorable effects on metabolic rate, hormones, and cardiovascular disease risk.
Protein and Metabolic Rate
Protein Muscle
Protein intake can positively affect body makeup. Because all food necessitates metabolic handling, all macronutrients raise metabolism. But the metabolic augmentation during protein consumption is twice those of carbohydrates or fat consumption. Consequently, a high protein intake may cause a higher rate of calorie burning and fat loss.
Studies have shown that during dieting, this change in metabolism may increase calorie expenditure and hence the rate of fat loss. More protein is required on a low calorie diet at any rate; particularly when exercising.
Some athletes, in an endeavor to gain muscle, overeat. It is probably better to eat a surplus of protein rather than carbohydrates or fats. Because any kind of overeating contributes to both some muscle and some fat gain, eating more protein may bring about more lean weight and less increase in fat weight.
So consuming extra protein might improve your metabolic rate and nutrient equilibrium. Through this, a higher protein diet may help with fat loss. Because protein foods necessitate more metabolic processing than carbs and fat it makes sense that through protein, metabolic increases would be better than those with fat or carbohydrate. In fact, several research investigations have shown it to double that of eating carbohydrates or fats.
Protein and Hormones
Along with the calorie burning results of protein, higher protein intakes can increase the release of the hormone glucagon. Insulin prevents fat loss from fat tissue, but glucagon helps to reverse this result. Glucagon also lessens the enzymes accountable for making fats and increasing the fat stores in your body.
In this case as well, higher protein consumption may lead to losses in body fat. And, during high food consumption, it may result in a smaller increase in fat.
Protein and Cardiovascular Disease Risk
The third result is a decreased cardiovascular disease risk. Raising the percentage of protein in your diet while lowering the percentage of carbs and fats may have some cardiovascular health benefits. Intensifying protein intake from 11% to 23% can lead to favorable alterations in blood lipids, a measure of your risk for cardiovascular disease.
So, there are at least three major health benefits to higher, even what some may feel is excessive, protein intakes. More research on these topics will come in the future but until this research is completed, the reports of hundreds of athletes, bodybuilders, and weightlifters are all positive.
For most players, since carbs and fats are vital for athletic performance, I don't advise decreasing either even as you increase your protein intake.