Building muscle takes time, hard work, and proper nutrition, which is why you’ll see a lot of people at the gym tossing back a shake after a tough workout session. But while those shakes have been the go-to way to refuel for years, a new study suggests there may be food that’s even better for building muscle after you work out: meat.
While it’s less convenient—and admittedly a little random—new research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a clear link between eating a specific kind of burger post-workout and an increase in elements in the body that support muscle growth. The study was small, but it adds to a growing body of research that suggests chowing down on high-protein, whole foods after you exercise might be the best way to support muscle growth.
Sure, you’re probably not going to start tossing a burger in your gym bag going forward, but experts say you may want to consider eating “real” food after workouts to build muscle. Here’s the deal.
What did the study find?
For the study, researchers tracked 16 physically active young adults and their muscle-protein synthesis, which is the process that happens when new muscle proteins are formed in the body and a crucial element to building muscle.
The participants gave blood samples, and had muscle biopsies taken during the study to monitor muscle-protein synthesis. Then, the participants went to the gym, where they performed leg presses and leg extensions, before eating one of three test meals: a high-fat pork burger, a lean pork burger, or a carbohydrate drink. After five hours, the researchers took another muscle biopsy to look at how the combination of the workout and meal impacted muscle protein synthesis.
After a few recovery days, the researchers had the participants repeat the process, but eat a different meal from what they had tried before.
Overall, the researchers found that levels of amino acids—which are the building blocks of protein and are crucial for muscle growth—rose quickly in people who ate pork compared to those who had the carbohydrate drink. (That wasn’t shocking since these people were literally putting protein into their bodies.) But the researchers also found that those who ate the lean pork burger had the biggest increase in amino acids. They had a bigger rate of protein-muscle synthesis compared to those who ate the high-fat pork burger too.
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