Success in bodybuilding requires a high level of dedication and discipline in the gym, but what you do outside of your workouts is important, as well. Your nutritional choices determine your level of muscle gain and fat loss, so pay close attention to your diet in the off-season and during contest season. Beef and turkey are beneficial for bodybuilding, but beef is better for off-season muscle gain, while turkey is preferable for pre-contest dieting.
Calorie Content
Beef is higher in calories than turkey, as 4 oz. of beef contains 200 calories, while 4 oz. of turkey provides just 125 calories. When you are in a bulking, or muscle gain, cycle, a higher calorie intake is preferable, which makes beef the better bodybuilding food choice. However, to achieve success at bodybuilding contests, you need to diet to reduce body fat and increase muscular definition. This requires you to be in a calorie deficit, so turkey is preferable.
Protein Content
Protein is a nutrient your body uses to manufacture hormones, muscles and other body tissue. At 25 g of protein, turkey contains slightly more than beef at 24 g in each 4 oz. serving. As a result, turkey may be slightly preferred for bodybuilding, as increased protein intake increases muscle mass. In addition, research from the October 2009 issue of "Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases" found that consuming a higher protein diet promotes more weight and fat loss than a diet lower in protein.
Carbohydrate Content
Neither turkey nor beef contain a significant level of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are beneficial for bodybuilding because they are your body's primary source of energy; more energy fuels better workouts. In addition, research from the April 2010 issue of the "European Journal of Applied Physiology" found that consuming a low-carbohydrate diet in conjunction with weight training reduced testosterone levels. However, you may not want to increase carbohydrate intake at the expense of protein consumption, as a study from the March 2011 issue of "Nutrition and Metabolism" found that prioritizing carbohydrate over protein resulted in increased activity in fat cells, rather than muscle cells.
Fat Content
The major difference between turkey and beef is the level of fat each contains. Beef is higher in fat, as a 4 oz. serving contains 11 g of fat compared to about 2 g in 4 oz. of turkey. Fat is calorie-dense, so eating fattier foods helps you reach the calorie surplus you need to gain muscle. For this reason, beef is better for building muscle, while turkey is more beneficial for weight loss, since the low-fat content keeps the calorie content low.
References
- LIVESTRONG.COM MyPlate: Calories in Beef
- LIVESTRONG.COM MyPlate: Calories in Roast Turkey Breast
- "Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases"; High Protein Diets Decrease Total and Abdominal Fat and Improve CVD Risk Profile in Overweight and Obese Man and Women with Elevated Tricyglycerol; P.M. Clifton, K. Bastiaans, J.B. Keogh; October 2009
- "European Journal of Applied Physiology"; Influence of Dietary Carbohydrate Intake on Free Testosterone: Cortisol Ratio Responses to Short-Term Intensive Exercise Training; April 2010
- "Nutrition and Metabolism"; Increased Ratio of Dietary Carbohydrate to Protein Shifts Metabolic Signaling From Skeletal Muscle to Adipose; S. Devkota, D.K. Layman et al.; March 2011
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