Is a calorie a calorie?

Mac_MFP

This is the best article I have read so far on this topic. It is very detailed: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/79/5/899S.full

RllyGudTweetr

"We conclude that a calorie is a calorie. From a purely thermodynamic point of view, this is clear because the human body or, indeed, any living organism cannot create or destroy energy but can only convert energy from one form to another."

nikilis

"We conclude that a calorie is a calorie. From a purely thermodynamic point of view, this is clear because the human body or, indeed, any living organism cannot create or destroy energy but can only convert energy from one form to another."

lool problem solved.

next up. "is a centimetre a centimetre"

cant wait for the old is yard a yard debate.

Iron_Lotus

"We conclude that a calorie is a calorie. From a purely thermodynamic point of view, this is clear because the human body or, indeed, any living organism cannot create or destroy energy but can only convert energy from one form to another."

Your picture makes me hungry

tootoop224

"We conclude that a calorie is a calorie. From a purely thermodynamic point of view, this is clear because the human body or, indeed, any living organism cannot create or destroy energy but can only convert energy from one form to another."

Your picture makes me hungry

I know!!! What is that?

nikilis

"We conclude that a calorie is a calorie. From a purely thermodynamic point of view, this is clear because the human body or, indeed, any living organism cannot create or destroy energy but can only convert energy from one form to another."

Your picture makes me hungry

I know right?

kugelette

"Diets high in protein and/or low in carbohydrate produced an ≈2.5-kg greater weight loss after 12 wk of treatment. Neither macronutrient-specific differences in the availability of dietary energy nor changes in energy expenditure could explain these differences in weight loss. Thermodynamics dictate that a calorie is a calorie regardless of the macronutrient composition of the diet."

In other words, a calorie isn't a calorie in practical terms of losing weight. A calorie is certainly not a calorie in the presence of insulin resistance, which many overweight people have.

nikilis

"We conclude that a calorie is a calorie. From a purely thermodynamic point of view, this is clear because the human body or, indeed, any living organism cannot create or destroy energy but can only convert energy from one form to another."

Your picture makes me hungry

I know!!! What is that?

deep fried burger strikes again.

aelunyu

Foster et al:

HP diet for 24 wk, 6.9 kg; HC diet for 24 wk, 3.1 kg; difference: P = 0.02
HP diet for 52 wk, 4.3 kg; HC diet for 52 wk, 2.4 kg; difference: P = 0.26

Study parameters already tell you the whole story. In the first study, only the 12wk subjects showed a p value of significance (<0.001). This tracks with the long overstudied notion that yes, in the acute phase (perhaps due to TEF values of protein being higher than other macros) that the body sheds more weight. But as diets drag into the 24, 52 week ranges, P values of 0.02, and 0.26 indicate that the longer you stay on a HP diet, the less it becomes effective.

Brehm et al and Skov et al

These studies are both skewed grossly, and still somehow produce an almost non-signifigance. HC group eats 500 extra calories than HP group just by default, and this is not explained as to why in Skov

In Brehm, there is about a 100 kcal higher intake for the HC group. This is the ONLY study, where there may be some correlation that is unexplained.

The rest of the studies below are NS or hold P-Values that are 0.02 or above, which shows little or no correlation.

Which leads to the eventual conclusion: A calorie is a calorie.

h9dlb

A calorie is not a calorie - carbs are quickly converted to energy, cause an insulin spike and make you more hungry - excess is stored as fat.

Good fat calories such as monos and efa actually help you burn fat.

Protein calories are more satiating, are harder for your body to digest, therefore have a greater thermic effect (your body uses more calories digesting protein than other macros) and excess protein calories tend to be excreted in urine rather than all being stored as fat.

Top and bottom of it is eat high protein, moderate good mono and poly fat and low carb

FunkyTobias

A calorie is not a calorie - carbs are quickly converted to energy, cause an insulin spike and make you more hungry - excess is stored as fat.

Good fat calories such as monos and efa actually help you burn fat.

Protein calories are more satiating, are harder for your body to digest, therefore have a greater thermic effect (your body uses more calories digesting protein than other macros) and excess protein calories tend to be excreted in urine rather than all being stored as fat.

Top and bottom of it is eat high protein, moderate good mono and poly fat and low carb

LOL. No.

Carbs are rarely stored as fat. DeNovo Lipogenesis is not an efficient process, rarely occurs in humans.

Stop getting your information from Gary Taubes, he's wrong about nearly everything.

LolBroScience

A calorie is not a calorie - carbs are quickly converted to energy, cause an insulin spike and make you more hungry - excess is stored as fat.

Good fat calories such as monos and efa actually help you burn fat.

Protein calories are more satiating, are harder for your body to digest, therefore have a greater thermic effect (your body uses more calories digesting protein than other macros) and excess protein calories tend to be excreted in urine rather than all being stored as fat.

Top and bottom of it is eat high protein, moderate good mono and poly fat and low carb

bro.science.

rogerbosch

A calorie is not a calorie - carbs are quickly converted to energy, cause an insulin spike and make you more hungry - excess is stored as fat.

Good fat calories such as monos and efa actually help you burn fat.

Protein calories are more satiating, are harder for your body to digest, therefore have a greater thermic effect (your body uses more calories digesting protein than other macros) and excess protein calories tend to be excreted in urine rather than all being stored as fat.

Top and bottom of it is eat high protein, moderate good mono and poly fat and low carb

You clearly haven't read (or understood) the article which distinguishes gross energy from metabolizable energy. Which means that a calorie is a calorie is a unit of energy, but how the body utilizes that energy is depending on a number of other factors (e.g. composition of macro nutrients)…

I have measured my own progress over this first half year, and the diagram clearly shows that, although a calorie is a calorie, the amount of calories has no direct negative effect on weight loss (in kg)



OP, thanks for the interesting article.