The Claim
In overweight postmenopausal women undergoing weight loss, a high-protein diet (1.5 g/kg/day) is associated with greater maintenance of handgrip strength compared to a normal-protein diet (0.8 g/kg/day), while no significant differences are observed in balance, gait speed, or the Short Physical Performance Battery.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
Among overweight women after menopause who are losing weight, those eating more protein maintain handgrip strength better than those eating less protein, but there is no difference in balance, walking speed, or overall physical performance scores.
See the scientific wording
In overweight postmenopausal women undergoing weight loss, a high-protein diet (1.5 g/kg/day) may help maintain handgrip strength compared to a normal-protein diet (0.8 g/kg/day), while no significant differences were observed in other measures of physical function such as balance, gait speed, or the Short Physical Performance Battery.
Eating more protein gives the body more building blocks to repair and keep muscle tissue, especially the fast-twitch fibers in the hands that control grip strength. This keeps the hand muscles from shrinking during weight loss, while other movements like walking or balancing rely on different muscle groups and systems that don't get the same benefit.
What the research says
1 studyIn overweight women over 50 losing weight, eating more protein helped keep their hand strength from getting weaker, but didn’t help them walk faster or balance better than eating the usual amount of protein.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.