There is a huge debate about red meat and whether or not it is beneficial for the body in general, and the question can be asked – "is it good for the bodybuilder as well?" The answer is nuanced.

The Good

Red meat has a host of beneficial elements in it that are hard to pass up. It's full of top quality protein. Its full of creatine. And it has a good deal of saturated fat. Saturated fat is necessary for growth, and the mix of quality protein and saturated fat is a good combination for growth. Some bodybuilders swear by it. Steak is the primary food of former bodybuilder and current Strongwoman Competitor Rachel Pyron.

And there's more. Beef is full of the B vitamins, also necessary for growth of the muscles. Beef is full of iron and phosphorus. And it has zinc, a nutritional powerhouse in itself. And amazingly, it’s fairly low in calories per serving.

The Bad & the Ugly

There is a downside to red meat as well. It can be full of chemicals. The beef industry fills the cattle up with growth steroids and antibiotics, neither which is good for the human body. And some red meats (cold cuts) can be full of preservatives as well.

So what do you do? You need the benefits that come from beef, but you want to avoid the hormones that have been pumped into the meat. Go with meat that says on the label it is free from growth hormones and other additives. More and more of these organic style meat offerings are appearing on the market as people wise up to what is in the food. And also consider bison, which is less likely to have these unwanted elements.

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