Researchers tested free living adults for obtaining results based on a study to investigate whether a high protein/low carbohydrate diet yields greater weight loss that a high carbohydrate/ low fat diet. Study showed that, the high protein/low carbohydrate diet had greater weight loss than that of the high carbohydrate/ low fat diet. Results also introduced new questions as to whether a calorie is indeed a calorie. Different aspects of energy were investigated to reassure result findings.
By definition, a calorie is known a unit of energy which is equated to 4.184 Joules. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but it is converted from one form to the other. The consumption of food the human body constantly transforms energy by combusting food ingested to produce heat. Scientist Lavoisier and Crawford both conducted experiments to conclude that respiratory exchange is combustion and thus from a purely thermodynamic point of view, a calorie is indeed a calorie.
Another concept which was used to determine whether a calorie is actually a calorie was to measure the energy expenditure of the various macronutrients. The gross energy of the faces and urea was examined for this experiment. Although an individual consuming high protein/low carbohydrates energy composition was less than an individual consuming high carbohydrate/low fat. This concluded that the high protein/low carbohydrate diet yield less energy for body and hence greater weight loss also the gross energy did however show that a calorie is a calorie.
It was indicated that; the human body is not a perfect engine and thus the thermodynamic concept was re-examined. The concept of “metabolizable energy” was introduced; it was now known that energy liberated from food combustion isn’t identical to energy available to the body from consumption of that food. Many experiments were conducted but could not prove that the thermodynamic concept was inaccurate.
In conclusion, greater weight loss is indeed prominent with the high protein/low carbohydrate diet than the low fat/high carbohydrate diet based on short experiment conducted. Protein is not stored in the body long term. Protein is stored as muscle and briefly as free amino acids in the blood stream; whereas carbohydrates are stored in the body glycogen which is converted to fats. Based on research of whether a calorie is actually a calorie, from purely a thermodynamic point, it is clear because living organism does not have the ability to create or destroy energy but we convert energy from one form to another.
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