Feed the fat furnace: chicken, fish and protein powders can help you build muscle and burn away fat

Men's Fitness, Oct, 2003 by Myatt Murphy

Researchers at Arizona State University monitored subjects who consumed either a high-protein or a high-carbohydrate diet, measuring their energy production several hours after each meal. "It was found that energy production was 100% higher on the high-protein diet when compared to the high-carbohydrate diet, a difference that amounted to an extra 30 calories burned per meal," says Kleiner. Assuming the average guy consumes at least three meals a day, that's an extra 90 calories burned just through digestion alone.

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?

Before you start buying chicken breasts by the gross, here are a few things to consider about eating extra protein.

The rule of thumb for the average couch slug is approximately one gram of protein for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight. "However, exercising at higher intensities while dieting may greatly increase your need for protein," says Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., R.D., owner of High Performance Nutrition in Mercer Island, Wash., and author of Power Eating. That's why advanced athletes may require as much as two grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (about one gram per pound).

Does more protein mean more muscle? "When you consume more than a gram per pound of body weight, the excess protein is usually just oxidized for energy," says registered dietitian Ellen Coleman. "Eating beyond that amount doesn't provide much of a benefit anyway." The main concern associated with overemphasizing protein is the stress it could place on the kidneys. "There's no real evidence that a man with healthy kidneys would have any problem eating a high-protein diet on a regular basis," says Coleman. Still, there are a few ways to stay safe.

* Eat some form of carbs at every meal. Eating too much protein is usually associated with not eating enough carbohydrates, which could cause an additional problem. "When your body doesn't have enough carbohydrates to use as energy, it turns to protein instead," says Kleiner. That means all the extra protein you're consuming will become fuel for basic energy needs, instead of muscle. (If you're really trying to lose fat, you may want to have vegetables as your source of carbs for your evening meal, rather than high-calorie starches such as pasta and breads.)

* Drink a lot of fluids. Research has shown that a high-protein meal has a slight diuretic effect. When the body uses protein as fuel, it has to remove the nitrogen component of the molecule to turn it into glucose. "This process requires plenty of water, as does detoxifying the ammonia left over during the process and eliminating it from the body," says Kleiner. This water loss can be dehydrating and, in turn, slow protein metabolism and muscle growth. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day, minimum.

* Break it up. To give your system a rest from processing all that protein, try to parcel out your daily ration. "That means breaking that total amount into many smaller meals throughout the day instead of trying to digest it all in one sitting," says Coleman.