Meat Is For Muscles

By Elena Voropay

All types of animal protein help ensure higher Testosterone, but red meat is especially good for this purpose.

Researchers compared the effects of 2 diets differing only in the source of protein in male athletes. Results showed that when men ate protein derived mainly from vegetable sources, their resting and post-exercise T concentrations were lower compared with a diet rich in animal protein. Nineteen overweight, sedentary men ages 51 - 69 were split into 2 groups: 9 of the men ate a diet in which half of the protein came from meat and other animal sources; the other 10 men ate a vegetarian meat-free diet that included dairy and eggs. Both groups were put on the same weight-lifting program. After 12 weeks meat-eaters gained 3.74 lb of muscle mass and lost 2.86 lb of fat; vegetarians actually lost muscle (1.76 lb), despite hours of gym work. What's even worse, they gained fat, although the amount was not significant, just 0.22 lb.

The purpose of another 1989 study was to determine the levels of steroids as well as Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) among normal adult men (25 – 35 years of age) who were either omnivorous or vegetarians. The levels of total T, DHEA, and other T-precursors were similar in the two groups. However, "Vegetarian group showed a higher levels of Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) while the free androgen index or FAI (calculated by the ratio Testosterone/SHBG) was lower in this group”. The conclusion from authors of the study was that “in a vegetarian group, less testosterone is available for androgenic action." What was surprising was how significant the difference was: The meat-eaters actually had 36 % more T than the guys who chewed the veggies. Hence, it was confirmed that a diet loaded with fat, especially Saturated Fat, cholesterol, and limited in fiber elevated Testosterone by 31% more than a 'healthy' vegetarian chow. I guess a piece of nice juicy steak is a better choice than a bowl of soy mash.

Thus, not only the percent energy derived from protein in the diet but also the source of protein may influence T homeostasis. This makes sense – all animal proteins naturally have cholesterol, which is the building block of Testosterone. This leads us to the only conclusion: a meaty diet with cholesterol would yield more of the big T that a vegetarian diet would. Another problem with a vegetarian diet is that generally it is low in protein and usually high in carbs, which would not only damage the T-raising pathway, but also lead to depressed Growth Hormone and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 levels, the two anabolic hormones which are essential for growth and healthy proliferation of all cells and tissues.

Now, there is something special about meat when it come to Testosterone. Dutch research shows that athletes had higher testosterone levels when eating meat-based protein, compared with other sources, such as dairy and eggs. This is intriguing, because both dairy and eggs have protein, Saturated Fat and cholesterol, but their inclusion did not correct the problem.

From all protein-rich foods, red meat such as steak and lean ground beef tend to build muscle better than even the leanest white meat from chicken or turkey, fish or seafood. Talk to a dieting bodybuilder and he'll tell you how difficult it would be to hold on to muscle mass if he didn't eat enough of red meat. The guy named Arnold has build his amazing award-winning physique on a Puritan-like work and lots of muscle-building protein. For the Austrian Oak red meat was the top-notch protein pick. Some say that it could be that a diet rich in red meat tends to provide adequate dietary fat, especially the Saturated form, and cholesterol which also support Testosterone production in the body. But there is more to red meat.

Meat on a plate builds meat on the body by suppling energy for pumping iron – not just from complete protein, but from a huge stack of endogenous muscle-building nutrients. When you next think of meat, remember the two most important bodybuilding acronyms “ZIP” (for Zinc, Iron, Protein) and three C's (for Creatine, Carnitine and CLA). Red meat is the richest source of these chemicals which are sold as individual supplements with claims, such as “Build Mass Overnight”. These claims are not all that wrong, after all. Zinc, Iron, Creatine, Carnitine and Conjugated Linoleic Acid have been tested for their potential effects on Testosterone and androgen receptors in muscle with positive results. While there are some differences between the meats, in general lean red meat is low in fat (less than 7 %), and a particularly good source of protein, Niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, Phosphorus, Zinc and Iron, with 100g providing more than 25% of the the micro-nutrients needed by the body every day. Red meats also provide more than 10% of recommended amounts of Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, and an immune-boosting Selenium.

Bombarded with all this information, I still can't give any sort of advice how to train, what to eat, and whether it has any effect on either Testosterone or muscle growth. Honestly, the more I learn, the more I realize how little we know about why the human body acts in a certain way. Jose Antonio, PhD, a well-known authority in the field of Sports Nutrition, had pointed in his on-line article “Diet and Testosterone”:

“If you compare the actual levels of Testosterone between the men in one study versus the men in the other study, the men in one study still had higher levels of testosterone AFTER they consumed a low fat diet in comparison to men in the second study who were consuming a high fat diet!... Also, increases in Testosterone with exercise may seem impressive. But keep this in mind, elderly men (~70 yrs) who bicycled for 60 minutes showed a 39% increase in blood levels of Testosterone (Metabolism. 45:935, 1996). This is a much higher increase than the ~15% increase seen with the bench press and jump squat exercises done in this study! Does that mean it’s better to bike for 60 minutes than it is to do jump squats or bench presses? I doubt it... Although diet and exercise does affect levels of steroid hormones, at this point it is not clear how significant this is. I certainly would not start riding a bike for one hour, eat lots of Saturated and Monounsaturated fat, and decrease my protein consumption all in the hopes of getting a measly increase in Testosterone levels.” (www.joseantoniophd.com) - Thanks, Jose.

Well, it still feels good to think that somehow we can control whether we lose or gain weight, feel energized or exhausted, age sooner or later. At the very least, from all the research collected, this is what you should be eating to spike the anabolic environment.