High-Protein Intake during Weight Loss Therapy Eliminates the Weight-Loss-Induced Improvement in Insulin Action in Obese Postmenopausal Women.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the effects of a standard-protein (0.8 g/kg/day) versus a high-protein (1.2 g/kg/day) hypocaloric diet on muscle insulin action and lean tissue mass preservation in postmenopausal women with obesity during weight loss.
Results Summary
The high-protein diet reduced lean tissue mass loss by ~45% but prevented weight-loss-induced improvements in muscle insulin signaling, glucose uptake, and adaptations in oxidative stress and cell structural biology pathways.
Population
Postmenopausal women with obesity.
Effective Dosage
0.8 g protein/kg/day (standard-protein) vs. 1.2 g protein/kg/day (high-protein).
Duration
Not specified in the abstract.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High-protein (HP) intake during weight loss (WL) therapy | decrease | lean tissue mass | - | - | reduces the loss of | #1 |
protein ingestion | decrease | postprandial insulin sensitivity | - | - | reduces | #2 |
hypocaloric diet containing 1.2 g protein/kg/day | decrease | lean tissue mass | postmenopausal women with obesity | ∼45% | reduced the WL-induced decline in | #3 |
hypocaloric diet containing 1.2 g protein/kg/day | no change | muscle insulin signaling | postmenopausal women with obesity | - | prevented the WL-induced improvements in | #4 |
hypocaloric diet containing 1.2 g protein/kg/day | no change | insulin-stimulated glucose uptake | postmenopausal women with obesity | - | prevented the WL-induced improvements in | #5 |
hypocaloric diet containing 1.2 g protein/kg/day | no change | oxidative stress pathways | postmenopausal women with obesity | - | prevented the WL-induced adaptations in | #6 |
hypocaloric diet containing 1.2 g protein/kg/day | no change | cell structural biology pathways | postmenopausal women with obesity | - | prevented the WL-induced adaptations in | #7 |
High-protein (HP) intake during weight loss (WL) therapy is often recommended because it reduces the loss of lean tissue mass. However, HP intake could have adverse effects on metabolic function, because protein ingestion reduces postprandial insulin sensitivity. In this study, we compared the effects of ∼10% WL with a hypocaloric diet containing 0.8 g protein/kg/day and a hypocaloric diet containing 1.2 g protein/kg/day on muscle insulin action in postmenopausal women with obesity. We found that HP intake reduced the WL-induced decline in lean tissue mass by ∼45%. However, HP intake also prevented the WL-induced improvements in muscle insulin signaling and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, as well as the WL-induced adaptations in oxidative stress and cell structural biology pathways. Our data demonstrate that the protein content of a WL diet can have profound effects on metabolic function and underscore the importance of considering dietary macronutrient composition during WL therapy for people with obesity.