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GET LEAN WITH PROTEIN


Cut Carbs, Not Protein, When Trying to Get Leaner

By Chris Aceto | Photo by Ian Logan













The low-carb craze continues and research is starting to pile up, affirming that cutting out large portions of pasta, rice and potatoes is a viable way to slash bodyfat. A recent study with overweight women showed that a reduced calorie, low-carb diet for six months yielded far greater results than a reduced calorie high-carb diet. So why not eliminate the carbs in hopes of a chiseled physique? The answer: energy and muscle loss.

People hitting the iron are different than overweight women (go figure). Weight trainees require glucose from carbohydrates, and skimping too much on carbs can interfere with training intensity. Over time, low-carb diets will yield lackluster workouts (and consequently, a lackluster physique).

A shortage of carbohydrates can deplete the muscles of glycogen. When glycogen levels begin to fall, the body starts relying heavily on bodyfat as fuel. The downside is additional protein can be used as fuel, as noted by protein researcher Peter Lemmon, PhD. "When you go into an energy deficit by reducing carbohydrates, protein needs increase," he says. The message here is that if you resort to low carbs without bumping up your protein intake, you risk burning fat and muscle."

What To Do
So, how can you harness the fat-burning effects of a low-carb diet without losing your hard earned muscle? By boosting your protein intake, that's how. Simply cut all of your current servings of carbohydrates in half while boosting your protein intake to about 1.2 grams per pound of bodyweight. Therefore, a 130-pound individual might cut her carbs from, say, 200 grams daily to only 100 grams while simultaneously increasing her protein intake to around 150-160 grams a day. It's the best of both worlds: less carbs to burn fat and more protein to preserve muscle.

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