Lean Pork Outperforms High-Fat Pork for Muscle Recovery

Researchers have discovered that the form and fat content of pork dramatically influence muscle protein synthesis after exercise. Using advanced techniques such as isotope tracing and muscle biopsies, the study shows that lean pork—containing 4.4 grams of fat and 20 grams of protein—results in a 47% higher rate of muscle building post-workout compared to high-fat pork with identical protein but five times more fat content. These findings directly challenge earlier assumptions that high-fat foods necessarily aid muscle synthesis.

The research, published by the University of Illinois, used strictly controlled feeding and measurement protocols and involved healthy, active young adults. The results point to the fat content of meat potentially blunting the anabolic response even when protein is matched across compared types of pork.