High protein diets are advantageous to keeping muscle and burning fat during
periods of energy restriction, when we are cutting back calories in an attempt to lose weight.
Included publications needed to measure one or more of body weight, body mass index, or body composition before and at the
end of energy restriction.
There are also many
reports of energy restriction reducing cancer growth in animals, but this benefit is not consistently seen with intermittent fasting in animals, implying that the benefit is in consistent restriction rather than intermittent restriction.
Researchers in a two literature reviews, one published in 2014 and the other in 2017, posit that the external
stress of energy restriction results in rapidly reproducing cancer cells failing to respond and protect themselves as quickly as they would under homeostatic circumstances.
However, 6
mo of energy restriction (− 3138 kJ / d or − 750 kcal / d), combined with increased physical activity, was recently demonstrated to induce increased expression of FOXO3A, muscle RING - finger protein 1, and MAFbx mRNA in previously sedentary, obese older women (58).
The objective of this article is to provide a contemporary analysis of the available literature regarding the
effects of energy restriction on skeletal muscle mass, with an emphasis on studies assessing the influence of varying levels of dietary protein on skeletal muscle protein metabolism.
In this randomized study, patients either received energy restriction either as a constant 8 week block, or in 2 week chunks alternating with 2 week blocks
of no energy restriction (eventually totalling 8 weeks of energy restriction).
Short term effects
of energy restriction and dietary fat sub-type on weight loss and disease risk factors
A systematic review of the separate and combined effects
of energy restriction and exercise on fat - free mass in middle - aged and older adults: implications for sarcopenic obesity