Is Beef Jerky Good for Gaining Muscle

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Give a big bear hug to the woman you love. But do make sure you have had your shower first. And tell her too that let's go light tonight and have a little beef jerky instead. Why? Because it's good. And it's good for bodybuilding too.

How so? How is jerky good for bodybuilding then? Read this article and find out. Article highlights include the jerky ingredients, how it compares amongst the most common meat-based products and how it fits in with the bodybuilders' bulking and cutting profiles.

How Is Jerky Good For Bodybuilding

The rest of this article should substantiate these highlighted facts. For now though, note that jerky is simple and easy to use but it's also ranked as a complete protein. It contains very little fat, if any at all. And depending on which pre-packaged cuts you purchase, it's got a decent share of minerals and vitamins as well.

But First This; What Is Jerky

Jerky has been branded as a simple food. Interestingly enough, you don't even need to buy it (that could have been expensive anyway), you could just make it yourself. Strictly speaking, jerky is meat that has already been cut into long strips and dried out.

Protein Requirement Post-Workouts

Aspirant bodybuilders must just remember that they need sufficient levels of protein already making its way through their bodies prior to their energy-sapping weight lifting workouts. If they feel instinctively that they are lacking, they could snack up on the jerky before their next workout, say, as part of a light lunch meal.

Jerky Is Complete Protein

A complete protein pack is delivered when you consume jerky strips because these strips are all laced with all of the essential amino acids that the human body simply cannot produce of its own accord. That being said; jerky is packed with protein.

Compare & Contrast

One commercial jerky product range reveals the following in terms of the protein content per meat range. Take a look at this.

Beef jerky – Twelve grams of protein.
Chicken – 11 grams.
Turkey – 13 grams.

Lean & Mean

So, its plain to see that there is little to choose between your favourite meats. One thing you can of course look forward to is this. All forms of jerky remain relatively high in protein per 50 to 100 gram serving.

Jerky Has Its Vitamins & Minerals Too

BUT low in fats and calories. In the meantime, two common minerals found in jerky strips are zinc and iron.

Watch The Sodium

After sampling a few of the store-bought products, we've come to the conclusion that it would be a lot safer to make your own beef jerky rather.

Watch The Sugar

Simply put, the sodium content is far too high. Just one beer jerky serving already takes care of over twenty percent of your recommended daily allowance of salt. And then there's still the sugar. One commercial serving already takes up 16 mg of sugar. Not exactly ideal for the cutting profile if you're looking to cut calories instead of adding them.

How Jerky Fits Cutting Profile

BUT. There are still two factors that make jerky ideal for the cutting season. Generally speaking, if you're prepared to make your own jerky or shop with a little more caution, jerky can still be low in calories compared to regular meat. And it's also much lower in carbs. Two commercially purchased packs sourced revealed that a single package could be as low as one-forty calories and have no more than six grams of carbs.

How Jerky Fits Bulking Profile

So you wonder now of course, how would jerky be of any benefit to the bulking season. Well, about the only solution that I can think of right now is that you double your jerky portions.

How To Eat The Jerky

Eat with caution.
Limit your portions.
Vary your use.

And you could do that in the following ways;

Shred the strips still further and toss it into a salad.
Liquidise it to form part of a potent protein smoothie snack.
Use it in a stir-fry with lots of veggies and/or legumes.

Jerky Benefits

Can be low in calories.
Definitely low in fat.
Versatile to utilise as a snack or part of a whole meal.

Jerky Cons

If you shop for jerky rather than make your own, you're risking your health by consuming too much salt and sugar.

Finally

Lean and mean. And there certainly was no fat to trim in this case. Now that you've been given a good feel for the jerky, here's hoping that this article has been a help. About the only negatives raised in this short space were the potentially high levels of sugar and salt. Otherwise, it has been all good, wouldn't you agree?

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Source: https://tacticalelitefitness.com/nutrition-and-diet/is-jerky-good-for-bodybuilding/