Research
Macro partitioning
During energy restriction (weight loss), athletes should increase protein intake to 1.8–2.0 g · kg−1 · day−1 to prevent the loss of lean muscle mass.
If you are cutting calories to lose fat, increase your protein intake to 1.8–2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight daily. This higher intake helps protect your muscle mass while you lose fat, especially if you are also resistance training.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Elevated protein consumption, as high as 1.8–2.0 g · kg−1 · day−1 depending on the caloric deficit, may be advantageous in preventing lean mass losses during periods of energy restriction to promote fat loss.
Why this rating
Based on consensus and cited studies showing synergy between resistance exercise and high protein during weight loss.
Source
Dietary protein for athletes: From requirements to optimum adaptation
Stuart M. Phillips et al. · Journal of Sports Sciences · 2011
DOI 10.1080/02640414.2011.619204
narrative_reviewCited 500×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Athletes should consume 1.3–1.8 g of protein per kg of body weight per day, distributed across 3–4 meals, to maximize muscle protein synthesis and adaptation.Good
- Post-exercise protein intake of 20–25 g of high-quality protein maximally stimulates muscle protein synthesis in resistance-trained individuals.Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →