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Carbs or protein post-workout: Which should you choose? Researchers explore

Protein is the king of muscle-building

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man eating meat at dinner
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While carbs provide quick energy, protein is the real muscle builder. You often hear people debate which is superior. What should you do after a solid workout? After an exercise session, how does eating high-fat pork, low-fat pork, or carbs affect how well your muscles repair and grow? That’s exactly what researchers set off to find out in a new study. Personally, I value the lasting, sustained energy I feel after a meal that’s richer in protein than in carbs.

The researchers pointed out that eating the same amount of protein doesn’t build muscle in the same way for every individual. There’s variation in muscle growth and repair, and how people respond to consuming high-protein foods post-workout. For some people, their bodies are more effective at using protein to build and repair muscle. 

The study

pork meat and vegetables
Sebastian Coman Photography / Pexels

In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 16 physically active adults lifted weights (resistance training) before eating one of three meals:

  • Low-fat pork  — 20g protein, but low fat (4.4 g of fat)
  • High-fat pork — same 20g protein, but much higher fat (20.6 g of fat)
  • Carbs only — no protein or fat (73.3 g of carbohydrate)
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Using special, safe, amino acid tracer injections, the researchers were able to measure how much new muscle protein participants’ bodies built in the hours after eating the meals. They looked at the impact on muscle protein synthesis.

The results

pexels-pixabay-shirtless man close up black and white image flexing triceps and back muscle
Pixabay / Pexels

The results showed the following:

  • Both low-fat and high-fat pork enhanced muscle growth after the workout.
  • The low-fat pork increased muscle protein synthesis even more than the high-fat pork.
  • The carb meal that didn’t have any fat or protein barely stimulated any muscle building at all. Because there was no protein, there was little muscle repair.

Despite the same amount of protein in the high-fat and low-fat pork meals, the high-fat pork seemed to slightly slow down the muscle-building response. It’s possible that the fat reduced how quickly amino acids entered the bloodstream. More essential amino acids in the bloodstream help to fuel that muscle-building response.

The takeaway

man eating meat for dinner
Kirowang / Pexels

The takeaway from this study is that not all protein is created equal when it comes to the muscle-building response, and leaner meats might be a better post-workout option than higher-fat meats. As expected, the meal that was rich in carbs with zero protein or fat didn’t really help to stimulate muscle growth or repair. The protein options were superior for promoting muscle-building and repair post-workout, which is helpful to keep in mind for those wanting to grow those guns.

Steph Green
Steph Green
Steph Green (Steph Zee) is a singer-songwriter and professional writer with over 12 years of experience in healthcare and… Read Full Bio
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