A randomized controlled trial published recently in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming additional lean red meat when working out did not help older adults build muscle. During the six-month trial period, 154 adults ages 65 and older participated in a three-day pre week resistance-based exercise training program. On training days, half of the participants received two 80-gram servings of lean red meat (around five and a half ounces total) and the other half received extra carbohydrates (one-half cup pasta or rice, or one medium potato). The meat-eating group did not experience any significant additional benefits in measures of muscle mass, strength, or cognitive function compared to the carbohydrate group.
Regular physical activity and a healthy dietary pattern are both important to healthy aging, and maintaining muscle through resistance exercises has been shown to preserve quality of life and independence. This study suggests that increasing meat intake, and perhaps protein intake in general, is not necessary to reap the benefits of resistance training.