
The Optimal Protein Podcast
Can You Build Muscle While Losing Fat? The Science of Body Recomposition
New
28 Aug 2026 · 35 min
Protein intakeMuscle growth
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About this episode
Vanessa breaks down the biggest takeaways from her conversation with Dr. Sara Oikawa, including what the research says about losing body fat while preserving—or even gaining—lean mass. A major focus is a tightly controlled body recomposition study in which young men followed a 40% calorie deficit while completing intensive resistance and interval training. The group consuming 2.4 g/kg of protein per day actually gained lean mass while losing fat, while the lower-protein group maintained lean mas