The food that we eat (and the nutritional value we gain from it) is always the least appreciated aspect of muscle building. While people love to hit the gym to obtain their perfect body shape, without the right diet you will never achieve the best results. This article explores the benefits of eating meat to gain muscle.

Building muscle involves three key steps: training, so as to provide the stimulus for muscle growth; nutrition, to provide the muscles with the nutrients they need to repair and build themselves; and rest, the time during which the muscles heal from the stress imposed on them during training. It is therefore important to get enough of the right nutrients to build muscles, and meat is an excellent food for the purpose.

Protein

Protein is the building block of muscle, and getting enough protein is essential for building muscle. The American Dietetic Association recommends that endurance and strength-training athletes consume between 1.2 to 1.7 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. An athelete who weights 154 lbs., or 70 kg, will therefore need between 84 to 119 g of protein daily. Meat is an excellent source of protein: according to LIVESTRONG.COM’s MyPlate, 4 oz. of chicken breast, beef and pork contain 27 g, 24 g and 22 g of protein, respectively. Meat protein is superior to plant protein, because it contains all the essential amino acids.

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