#15: Can You Burn More Calories By Eating More Protein?
There’s evidence to suggest that eating more protein can increase your daily energy expenditure by anywhere from 70 - 200 calories.
It does this, supposedly, because it has a higher thermic effect (TEF) and the ability to maintain lean muscle mass.
What is TEF (Thermic Effect of Food)?
The TEF (the Thermic Effect of Food) is the number of calories required to digest and a macronutrient (protein, carbohydrate, or fat). It accounts for around 10 % of one’s total daily energy expenditure.
To understand TEF, we must understand Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE); the total amount of energy a person uses in one day. It varies from day to day, because what we do really matters here. But essentially, there are four factors determining TDEE:
A TDEE example chart.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR); is the number of calories you burn as your body performs life-sustaining functions. It can be assumed as the total amount of calories one would burn if he/she stayed in bed all day, doing absolutely nothing. This accounts for around 70 % of TDEE.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT); is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating, or sports-like exercise. It involves the energy expended walking to work, typing, doing chores, and fidgeting. This accounts for around 15 % of TDEE.
Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT); is the energy expended when we exercise purposefully. This accounts for 5 % - 10 % of TDEE.
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF); described earlier. This accounts for around 10 % of TDEE.
You can see the effect these four elements have on TDEE more clearly by viewing the bar chart.
But let’s talk more about TEF and how eating more protein can, quite possibly, help us burn more calories throughout the day.
The TEF Of Each Macro Is Different
Paradoxically, the body needs calories to burn and absorb foods. It takes work to break down food into smaller bits and to later absorb it. Different macronutrients require different levels of effort to be used up:
100 calories from carbohydrates require 5 - 10 calories to metabolise.
100 calories from fats require 0-3 calories to metabolise.
100 calories from protein require 20 - 30 calories to metabolise.
Looking at the figures, one may wonder: why not just eat more protein, then? Protein is great for satiety and it has a higher TEF. Could this mean greater weight loss?
Increasing Protein Consumption For More Tef
Eating more protein will certainly increase your energy expenditure through more TEF, but to see a significant difference, one would have to go from a relatively low-protein diet to a high-protein diet.
The difference in TEF in switching from a diet that is moderate in protein, to one which is higher, although potentially beneficial, will only stimulate minor increases in TEF.
Think about it like this. If a man consumes 2000 calories/day at 20 % protein, 50 % carbohydrate, and 30 % fat, then his TEF would be around 238 calories (that is, 238 calories burned through TEF).
If the same man consumes 2000 calories/day at 30 % protein, 50 % carbohydrate, and 20 % fat, then the TEF would be around 292 calories (that is, 292 calories burned through TEF).
The difference in TEF between moderate-protein and high-protein consumption is only 54 calories.
At 54 calories, we’re talking about one kiwi fruit, 80 g of blueberries, or a 10 - 15 minute walk depending on the pace.
Protein’s Real Advantage Comes With Satiety
Protein can increase fullness and decrease appetite, as seen in a 2020 study. The authors of this study proposed that protein can increase satiety hormones, like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and cholecystokinin (CCK), while decreasing the hunger hormone: ghrelin.
If this is truly the case, then increasing protein consumption should decrease the amount of food one eats. In fact, this has been seen in a 2005 study showing how an increase in dietary protein from 15 % to 30 % led persons to a total calorie reduction of 411 calories. The participants also lost an average of 5 kg in 12 weeks.
Protein Will Take Care Of Your Lean Muscle Mass
If you’re planning on losing weight, then you may want to consider upping your protein to prevent lean muscle breakdown.
Weight loss phases compromise both fat and muscle; this is unfortunate because muscle tissue is metabolically active and burns more calories than body fat. Having less muscle, therefore, will slow calorie burn and make it harder to lose weight.
To make the most of the process of weight loss, resistance training is a must. During this time, keeping a high-protein diet will prevent the loss of muscle mass.
One 2020 study in middle-aged men who were overweight or obese found that a low-calorie, moderate-carb diet that supplied 1.42 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily led to a greater preservation of muscle mass than a low-calorie mixed diet that provided 0.96 grams of protein per kilogram daily.
For a 30-year-old man weighing 70 kg, that’s 100 g instead of 67 g of daily protein consumption.
Every cell in the human body contains protein. You need it for growth, repair and fighting disease (and injury). It is a major part of your muscle, bone, hair, skin, and internal organs, and is essential for proper fluid balance and in growth and development; especially in children, teens, and pregnant people.
The Takeaway
For satiety and body composition purposes, eating more protein can be very beneficial. But doing so to increase your energy expenditure through TEF, shouldn’t be the basis of your reasoning. It’s like picking pennies when stacks of cash are right around the corner. Using that analogy, the ‘stacks of cash’ would be:
regular movement throughout the day
regular eating of a minimally processed diet
increasing muscle mass through resistance training
By all means, eat protein with each meal. So if you’re eating three meals/day, and you’re consuming roughly 1.4 - 1.5 g per kg of body weight (which is a good way to go), divide that between the three meals.
