Proteins and carbohydrates are two of the most important macronutrients you must consider when developing your diet, as they are your primary sources of energy and nutrients. The amount of proteins and carbohydrates you need may vary depending on your dietary needs and goals. Speak to a registered dietitian about a high-protein and carb diet to determine if it is well-suited for you.
Weight Loss
The weight loss industry often markets high-protein diets as a way to lose weight. While they may work with some effect, the weight loss is not often sustainable. A 2010 study appearing in "The New England Journal of Medicine" examined different diets for post-weight loss maintenance, including a high-protein and high-carbohydrate diet. After 26 weeks, the researchers concluded that people consuming high-protein diet had better chances of maintaining weight loss than people eating low-protein diets. However, the high-protein diet coupled with low-glycemic index carbohydrates produced better results than the high-protein diet with high-glycemic index carbohydrates.
Muscle Gaining
Dietary composition can enhance your results from physical activity, such as resistance training to build muscle. Registered dietitian Katy James states that increasing your protein intake from the recommended 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight to a higher value between 1.6 g and 1.7 g per kilogram of body weight will provide you with all of the amino acids you need for quicker muscle growth while weight training. She also recommends that 55 to 60 percent of your caloric intake come from carbohydrates so you have sufficient muscle glycogen stores to exercise.
Dietary Fats
Increasing your protein and carbohydrate intake may cause you to greatly reduce the amount of dietary fat you eat. The Harvard School of Public Health notes that one of the dangers of arbitrarily cutting fats from your diet is that you may begin to eliminate fats that have high nutritional value. Maintaining both mono- and polyunsaturated fats in your diet can improve your blood cholesterol and other cardiovascular issues. These types of fats are found in avocados, nuts, flax seeds and fish.
Athletic Performance
Eating a high-carbohydrate diet with an adequate amount of protein to match is the best way to improve your athletic performance, according to registered dietitian Rochelle L'Italien. If you participate in endurance exercise for 90 minutes or more, L'Italien recommends eating a diet with 60 to 70 percent of your caloric intake from carbohydrates for at least six days prior to competition. Your protein intake should be around 15 percent as an upper limit. Excess protein provides no performance benefit and may end up stored on your body as fat.
References
- "The New England Journal of Medicine"; Diets with High or Low Protein Content and Glycemic Index for Weight-Loss Maintenance; Thomas Meinert Larsen, Ph.D., et al.; November 2010
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Nutrition -- The Competitor's Edge; Katie James, M.S., R.D., L.M.N.T.
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol -- Out with the Bad, In with the Good;
- University of New Hampshire; Nutrition Topics -- Sports; Rochelle L'Italien M.S., R.D. L.D.
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