Does eating more protein help you keep muscle when starving at high altitude?
Severe negative energy balance during 21 d at high altitude decreases fat‐free mass regardless of dietary protein intake: a randomized controlled trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher protein intake worsened net protein balance.
Common belief is that more protein improves muscle retention — but here, it made the body’s protein balance more negative, meaning more breakdown than building.
Practical Takeaways
If you're in a severe calorie deficit at high altitude, don't assume eating more protein will protect your muscle.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher protein intake worsened net protein balance.
Common belief is that more protein improves muscle retention — but here, it made the body’s protein balance more negative, meaning more breakdown than building.
Practical Takeaways
If you're in a severe calorie deficit at high altitude, don't assume eating more protein will protect your muscle.
Publication
Journal
The FASEB Journal
Year
2017
Authors
C. Berryman, A. Young, J. Karl, R. Kenefick, Lee M. Margolis, R. Cole, J. Carbone, H. Lieberman, Il-Young Kim, A. Ferrando, Stefan M. Pasiako
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Claims (4)
To lose body fat, you must consume fewer calories than you expend, and the size of this calorie deficit has a greater impact on fat loss than whether you do running, weightlifting, or other forms of exercise.
When healthy adult men are in a state of severe calorie deficit at high altitude, consuming 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day leads to a higher rate of protein breakdown compared to consuming 1.0 gram per kilogram, resulting in a greater overall loss of body protein.
When healthy adult men at high altitude consume significantly fewer calories than they burn for three weeks, they lose about 3.6 kilograms of lean body mass, whether they eat 1.0 or 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily.
When healthy adult males experience extreme calorie restriction at high altitudes, they lose about the same amount of body fat as they do muscle and other lean tissues.