What Research Says About Best Diet For Fat Loss

By Coach Rishabh · December 25, 2016 · 3 min read

A comparison of low carb diet and regular diet (41:34:17 ratio of Carb, Fat & Protein) was set-up to study the effects on lean body mass (LBM) and fat mass in conjunction with exercise. The duration of the study was for 10 weeks. Researchers concluded that resistance exercise in combination with a ketogenic diet may reduce body fat without significantly changing LBM, while resistance exercise on a regular diet may increase LBM without significantly affecting fat mass. Fasting blood lipids do not seem to be negatively influenced by the combination of resistance exercise and a low carbohydrate diet (Jabekk PT).

Clearly, the low carb ketogenic diet emerges out as a winner for the purpose of fat loss in general. But let’s take a closer look at what happened in this study.

Low Carb Gains

As we know that a low carb diet is notable for its immediate weight loss effects. But it’s a little rough to gain LBM on such diets due to them being lesser anabolic and insulinogenic. But the participant with the most pronounced results, lost 8 Kg fat while gaining 3.5 Kg muscle, was on low carb diet! It is kinda surprising to gain LBM with such lower anabolism. This tells that there’s more to the story than just the macro divisions.

One way we can understand it is that, though a significant caloric deficit is mandatory to lose fat, but to build LBM the energy needs may be compensated by the stored fat in the body. The fat piled on the body is after all just the energy stored for the future use. During a caloric deficit, the body mobilizes this energy to compensate for energy needs like physical activity or basal metabolic needs. Protein synthesis owing to the stimulus of resistance training is just another energy requirement which could be met from stored fat in the body.

If you’ve high body fat and low muscle mass, your body can accomplish it pretty efficiently. We see the beginners doing it all the time.

High Carb Conundrum

Moving on to the worst results of this study, the participant who gained 1 kg fat while losing 1.5 kg LBM, was on regular dieting. This too is surprising given the fact that carbs are protein sparing and assist in preserving the LBM. Let me also tell you that this was the only unlucky participant who lost LBM on a higher carb diet. It indicates the importance of taking in individual differences while prescribing a nutrition program. No one size diet fits all.

You got to personalize a diet suiting to an individual rather than passing on the same template to everyone in the same boat. This requires experience as well as expertise in nutrition. Your regular gym bro or trainer is not that apt or sophisticated. Always seek expert advice whenever you need to.

References

• Jabekk PT, Moe IA, Meen HD, Tomten SE, Hostmark AT: Resistance training in overweight women on a ketogenic diet conserved lean body mass while reducing body fat. Nutr Metab (Lond) 2010, 7:17.