At this stage of the game, we're all well aware that a protein-rich diet makes for a healthy lifestyle.

From ensuring a full feeling to encouraging muscle gain, the benefits of protein cannot be underestimated.

And yet recent research has indicated we may be unwittingly undoing all its good if we opt to team a protein-rich meal with a sugary drink.

According to a study conducted by BMC Nutrition, opting for a sweetened drink with a protein-based dish can actually have a negative effect on our metabolism and ultimately encourage the build up of fat.

(And yes, that is the sound of us weeping.)

Placing 24 participants in a metabolic chamber on two separate occasions, researchers sought to analyse the way the body processes nutrients, how it uses fat, protein and carbohydrates as well as measuring how many calories it burns.

On the first occasion, the diet considered of 15 per cent protein while the second occasion saw a 30 per cent protein intake, with each meal having been paired with a sugary drink.

Explaining their findings, they wrote: "We found that drinking a sugar-sweetened drink with a meal significantly decreases fat use and diet-induced thermogenesis (heat production)."

"And when we paired the sugar-sweetened drink with a protein-rich meal, the combination further decreased fat use and diet-induced thermogenesis by more than 40%." they continued.

"Additionally, we found that, over the course of a day, the body only expended 80 of the 120 kcals that was provided by the sugar-sweetened drink, thus creating a 40-kcal surplus independent of how much protein was in the meal."

The findings highlight the impact sugary drink consumption has on the metabolism regardless of the components of the meal.

"One implication of the results is that the body’s reduced metabolic efficiency after drinking a sugar-sweetened beverage can lead to a greater tendency to make and store fat."

"Our findings provide further insight into the potential role of sugar-sweetened drinks in the etiology of obesity."

And there we were thinking our healthy meal meant we could loosen up on the beverage front.

*Sigh.