The Impact of a High Protein Diet on Substrate Oxidation and Energy Metabolism

Summary

In the 19th century, researchers found out that the differences in the energy content of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate and fat) can elicit different responses in the amount of calories individuals burn per day. It was demonstrated that protein has a metabolic advantage when compared to the other macronutrients (carbohydrate and fat). Since these findings, researchers all over the world started to study how diets differing in macronutrient distribution could result in different responses to energy metabolism. Diets with high amounts of protein (i.e. meats, eggs, dairy products, and grains) are becoming more popular, and studies have shown that when people eat high quantities of protein they lose weight and fat mass, maintain the weight loss, and burn more calories per day.

The investigators hypothesize that giving high amounts of protein to healthy women will increase the amount of calories and fat they burn per day, increase their satiety, and improve health markers when compared to a normal diet. The increased protein level will be achieved using a nutrition supplement consisted of soy protein, yogurt and honey.

To test this, the investigators plan to divide the participants in two groups: one will eat a normal diet and the other a diet with high amounts of protein during one and a half day. After one month they will change groups and eat the other diet for the same period of time. During this period consuming the diets (1.5 days), participants will stay inside a whole body calorimetry suite, which is similar to a hotel bedroom and is able to inform in the most precise way the amount of calories participants will burn and if they are burning more fat. Additionally, before and after each meal participants will have to answer a questionnaire about their appetite sensations and blood will also be collected to analyze health markers.

Conditions

• Dietary Modification

Interventions

OTHER

Diet

The High-Protein Diet Group will receive a eucaloric diet composed of 35% of carbohydrate, 40% of protein, and 25% of lipid constructed around a soy protein-based meal replacement (Almased®) for one and a half day. Participants will consume 1 gram ± 0.1 of Almased® per kg of body weight mixed with linseed oil and skim milk in their breakfast, lunch and dinner. Two snacks (afternoon and evening) composed of 1 gram ± 0.1 of Almased® per kg of body weight mixed with vegetable juice and linseed oil will also be provided.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Almased Wellness GmbH

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• University of Alberta

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Carla MM Prado, PhD · University of Alberta

• Arya Sharma, PhD · Unviersity of Alberta

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

34 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2016-10-31

Primary Completion

2018-03-31

Completion

2018-03-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations