Research
Macro partitioning
Prioritizing protein intake maximizes the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), thereby increasing total energy expenditure compared to high-fat or high-carbohydrate diets at equal caloric levels.
To burn more calories through digestion, prioritize protein in your meals. Protein has a much higher thermic effect (20-30%) compared to fat (2-5%) and carbs (5-15%). This means you burn more energy just processing protein-rich foods.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
In general, TEF is highest for protein, next highest for carbohydrates, and the lowest TEF is for dietary fat. Thus, given the same calories, a higher protein diet will lead to the greater TEF than a high fat, low carb diet.
Why this rating
The paper cites established physiological principles and multiple studies regarding TEF differences by macronutrient.
Source
Using Metabolic Testing to Personalize Behavioral Obesity Treatment
Leonard H. Epstein et al. · Obesity Science & Practice · 2025
DOI 10.1002/osp4.70065
narrative_reviewCited 1×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Measuring Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) and adjusting caloric goals based on weight loss-induced metabolic adaptations prevents weight loss plateaus and optimizes energy balance.Moderate
- Regular meal patterns and larger, less frequent meals maximize the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) compared to irregular or frequent small meals.Moderate
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
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