Dietary protein affects blood glucose levels during weight loss and exercise. People with diabetes must control their blood glucose levels to maintain good health. When you eat protein, about half becomes glucose. Protein converts to glucose more slowly than carbohydrates and helps keep your blood sugar in control by slowing your body’s absorption of carbohydrates. Diabetics should consult a heath professional before adjusting dietary protein to affect blood sugar.
Supplements and Exercise
Carbohydrate and protein-carbohydrate supplements elevate blood glucose levels during exercise, according to a study from the University of Texas published in the “International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.” In the study, nine trained cyclists received supplements every 20 minutes as they competed a three-hour cycling session. The subjects then cycled to the point of exhaustion. The carbohydrate supplement significantly increased the cyclist’s time to exhaustion and the addition of protein further enhanced this effect. The researchers concluded that protein gives an extra boost beyond the effects of carbohydrate-only.
Short-term Weight Loss
A carbohydrate-based diet reduces fasting and postprandial blood glucose better than a protein-based diet while losing weight in the short-term, according to a study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign reported in the February 2003 issue of the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” Twenty-four overweight women ate one of two weight loss diets consisting of 1,666 calories, including 50 grams of fat per day for six weeks. The protein diet group ate 1.6 grams of protein for every 2.2 pounds of body weight, with a carbohydrate restriction of 40 percent of calories or less. The carbohydrate diet included 0.8 grams of protein for every 2.2 pounds of body weight, with more than 55 percent of calories from carbohydrates.
Long-term Weight Loss
Losing weight with a protein-based or carbohydrate-based diet produces about the same improvement in blood glucose levels in humans long-term, according to a study from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Australia and reported in the January 2008 issue of the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” Researchers monitored the glucose levels of 79 healthy women who had completed a weight loss program as they did 52-weeks of a protein-based or carbohydrate-based maintenance program.
Improve Glucose Control
A high-protein diet improves glucose control, according to a study from the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minnesota and published in the October 2003 issue of the “American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition.” Twelve diabetic subjects consumed two different meal plans for five weeks, separated by two to five weeks. First, subjects ate a high-protein diet with a protein-to-carbohydrate-to-fat ratio of 30:40:30. Second, subjects ate a prototypical healthy diet recommended by several scientific organizations for people with diabetes as a control with a ratio of 15:55:30. The data shows a 40 percent decrease in 24-hour glucose response in the high-protein group.
References
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: An Increase In Dietary Protein Improves the Blood Glucose Response In Persons With Type 2 Diabetes
- Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism: Effect Of A Carbohydrate-Protein Supplement On Endurance Performance During Exercise Of Varying Intensity
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Increased Dietary Protein Modifies Glucose and Insulin Homeostasis in Adult Women During Weight Loss
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Long-Term Effects Of A High-Protein Weight-Loss Diet
- Diabetes Spectrum: Protein Controversies in Diabetes
