Ask Jules… about animal protein

I am currently working with a trainer to build lean muscle. I enjoy a good steak, but might my love of steak be counteracting my goal of lean muscle?

-John

Hi John,

My short answer is no, you are not compromising your ability to gain muscle, or lean mass, by eating steak. Steak is a high quality protein source and protein is necessary to build up muscle fibers that we break down with strength (and other) exercises. This is one of the ways the body adapts to positive physical stress and can come back stronger when it is put under load again. Protein can come from a variety of foods, and I do suggest consuming something with protein at every meal or snack from many different sources, not just steak, for best recovery and overall health.

I do want to note my use of the words “gain muscle, or lean mass” above; a slight switch from your question that reads “build lean muscle”. Hearing you say you want to build lean muscle makes me feel you are really saying you want to be more lean overall. Muscle is lean mass, all muscle is lean. However, you can gain lean mass, i.e. more muscle, and not drop any fat from your body. You are stronger, but not leaner, in this case. From a fitness and health standpoint this is a huge win, regardless of your body fat content. I say this because, if your goal is actually to change your body composition to have more lean mass and less fat mass, not just to gain muscle (and I would take the time to ask yourself why you may want this), then my above answer has a caveat.

That caveat, unfortunately, is not the silver bullet to the complex situation that is body composition change. Increasing muscle mass while decreasing fat mass is a difficult thing to do that needs evaluation on an individual basis. Under these circumstances, eating, or not eating, steak is a moot point that would need more context to be relevant.

- Jules, MS, RDN, LD

To submit a question please email sweatrevivalblog@gmail.com.