American researchers have found that lean pork chops are the most effective in promoting muscle recovery and growth after strength training. According to an article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN), this product is significantly more effective than fattier cuts of meat.
Physically active adult volunteers participated in the experiment. After intense strength training, participants were given either a lean pork burger or a fatty pork burger. A third group was given a carbohydrate drink.
Blood samples and muscle biopsies were taken within five hours of the meal. The results showed that muscle protein synthesis, a key indicator of muscle growth, was 47% higher in those who consumed lean pork. The effect of the high-fat burger was only slightly greater than that of the standard carbohydrate drink.
"We found that not all sources of animal protein work equally," said study lead author Nicholas Byrd, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "For some reason, fatty pork significantly dampens the body's anabolic response."
The researchers emphasize that the results refer to the processed ground pork used in the study and do not necessarily apply to other protein sources such as chicken, eggs or fish. They also emphasized that regular strength training remains the main factor in muscle growth, and nutrition simply contributes to this process.
