Fat Loss Versus Muscle Loss and the Importance of Protein Intake
It is significant to understand the difference between weight loss and fat loss. Weight loss typically occupies the loss of fat, water and muscle. A dieter can lose weight without losing much fat. Preferably, overweight people should search for to losing fat and preserving muscle, since muscle burns more calories than fat. Commonly, the more muscle mass one has, the higher one's metabolism is, resulting in more calories being burned, even not working. While muscles are denser than fat, muscle loss results in little loss of physical mass corresponding to fat loss. To find out whether weight loss is due to fat, a variety of methods of measuring body fat percentage have been developed.
Muscle loss during weight loss can be restricted by regularly lifting weights (or doing push-ups and other strength-oriented movements) and by maintaining adequate protein ingestion. According to the National Academy of Sciences, the Dietary Reference Intake for protein is "0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight for adults."
Those on low-carbohydrate diets, and those doing predominantly exhausting exercise, may desire to increase their protein intake. Although, there may be some danger - according to the American Heart Association, excessive protein ingestion may cause liver and kidney problems and may be a risk factor for heart disease. Conversely, here is no definite evidence that reasonably high protein diets in healthy individuals are dangerous. It has only been revealed that these diets are hazardous for individuals who already have kidney and liver problems.
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