Muscle & Physical Performance

The swollen taproot of a cultivated Beta vulgaris, deep red from betalain pigments. It is among the richest dietary sources of…

Exercise performance: A large body of randomised trials, summarised in several meta-analyses, finds that beetroot juice improves endurance performance measures such as time to exhaustion and time-trial output by a small margin. The effect is most reliable in recreational athletes and smaller or absent in elite ones.

Yogurt strained to remove much of its whey, roughly doubling the protein per spoonful and leaving a thicker set. Products…

Muscle protein synthesis: Research suggests dairy protein alongside resistance training increases muscle mass and strength beyond training alone. Multiple pooled analyses of protein supplementation trials point the same way, and strained yogurt is a concentrated whole-food source of the same whey and casein proteins.

The fruit of a large tropical herb, harvested green and ripened after picking. Ripening converts most of its starch into sugars,…

Exercise performance: Some trials report that bananas eaten during prolonged endurance exercise sustain performance about as well as a carbohydrate sports drink. The finding is reasonably consistent but rests on a modest number of small trials in trained cyclists and runners.

The pectoral muscle of the chicken, made up largely of fast-twitch fibres, which is why it is pale and low in fat compared with…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support muscle protein synthesis and lean mass gains when combined with resistance training. Chicken breast is a concentrated source of complete protein, and trials substituting it for lower-protein foods report improvements in lean mass.

Dark leg meat, richer in myoglobin, fat and connective tissue than breast because these are the muscles the bird actually uses.…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support muscle protein synthesis as a complete protein source. The amino acid profile of dark poultry meat is close to that of breast, and trials of high-quality animal protein with resistance training report gains in lean mass.

A large cold-water groundfish with lean, flaky white flesh that stores its oil in the liver rather than the muscle. That anatomy…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support muscle protein synthesis as a lean complete protein. Trials of white fish and cod protein report post-meal amino acid responses comparable to other high-quality proteins.

The brewed infusion of roasted, ground Coffea seeds, and the largest single source of polyphenols in many national diets simply…

Exercise performance: Meta-analyses report small but consistent improvements in endurance performance and, to a lesser degree, strength outcomes with caffeine taken about an hour before exercise. Doses studied are typically 3–6 mg per kilogram of body weight, responses vary between individuals, and habitual intake blunts the effect somewhat.

A fresh, unripened cheese made by acidifying milk and draining the curd without pressing, leaving the loose grains in a little…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support muscle protein synthesis. Casein is a complete, slowly digested protein, and trials report a prolonged rise in blood amino acids after casein-rich foods compared with fast proteins.

A complete package of protein, fat and micronutrients built to grow a chick, split between a protein-and-water white and a…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support muscle protein synthesis. Whole egg is a benchmark high-quality protein, and controlled trials report a greater muscle protein synthesis response to whole egg than to an equal amount of egg white protein alone.

Immature seeds of the pea plant, eaten fresh or frozen while still sweet and starchy rather than dried. Unlike the dried pulses…

Muscle protein synthesis: Several trials report that pea protein supports gains in muscle mass and strength during resistance training comparably to whey, when total protein intake and leucine content are matched.

A small muscle running along the inside of the spine that does almost no work, making it the leanest and most tender cut on the…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support muscle protein synthesis. Lean pork provides a complete amino acid profile, and feeding trials report post-meal muscle protein synthesis rates similar to those from other high-quality animal proteins.

The legume behind tofu, soy milk, tempeh and miso, eaten either as mature dry beans or as edamame, the immature green pod…

Muscle protein synthesis: Several trials report that soy protein supports muscle gains during resistance training, somewhat less efficiently per gram than whey because of its lower leucine content and slower amino acid profile.

The sour cherry species, distinct from sweet cherries and grown largely for juice, concentrate and processing. Montmorency is the…

Exercise recovery: Several trials and pooled analyses report less muscle soreness and faster recovery of strength when tart cherry juice is taken around strenuous exercise. Reviews flag substantial heterogeneity, small samples and frequent industry funding, so the size of the effect is uncertain.

Cow milk with its fat left in, standardised to around 3.25% in most markets and almost always pasteurised. It is an emulsion in…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support muscle protein synthesis and recovery after resistance exercise. Milk supplies whey and casein together, and trials report post-exercise increases in muscle protein synthesis and lean mass with milk compared with carbohydrate drinks.

Almost always skipjack, a small fast-growing tuna, cooked and canned in water or oil. It is a distinctly different product from…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support muscle protein synthesis as a lean complete protein. Fish protein is high quality, but trials testing canned tuna specifically against other protein sources are few.

The clear liquid from inside a young green coconut, distinct from coconut milk, which is pressed from the mature flesh. It is a…

Exercise performance: Small trials comparing coconut water with water or sports drinks after exercise find broadly similar rehydration on measures such as fluid retention and plasma volume, with no clear performance advantage and more reports of stomach fullness. The trials are small, short and often crossover designs in a handful of participants.

The hulled seed of industrial hemp, a cannabis variety bred to contain negligible THC. The USDA reference entry is for the hulled…

Muscle protein synthesis: Contains a reasonably complete plant protein dominated by edestin, with a digestibility comparable to other seed proteins. Human trials on muscle outcomes using hemp protein specifically are minimal.

A hard cheese aged a year or more, during which enzymes break down protein into free amino acids and the crystalline tyrosine…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support protein intake as a dense source of complete dairy protein. Portions are small enough that parmesan rarely contributes meaningfully to daily protein, and no trials test it in this role.

Decapod crustaceans, the most traded seafood in the world by value and now largely farmed. Their shells contain astaxanthin bound…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support muscle protein synthesis as a very lean complete protein. Seafood protein is high quality, but shrimp has barely been tested against other protein sources in trials.

A fast-growing leafy annual in the amaranth family, eaten raw as young leaves or cooked as mature ones. It wilts to a fraction of…

Exercise performance: Evidence is limited for spinach as an ergogenic aid. A small number of trials report improved muscle efficiency or performance with nitrate-rich greens, but the dose per portion is much lower than in the beetroot studies the idea comes from.

A large cucurbit fruit that is over nine-tenths water by weight, with red flesh coloured by lycopene. The rind and the flesh both…

Exercise recovery: A small number of trials report reduced muscle soreness after exercise with watermelon juice. The studies are few, small and short, and findings have not been independently repeated at scale.

A peppery salad leaf in the mustard family, eaten raw or briefly wilted. Its sharpness comes from isothiocyanates released when…

Exercise performance: Arugula is sometimes suggested as a whole-food substitute for beetroot juice in sport. Trials testing arugula for performance endpoints are too few to support that, whatever its nitrate content on paper.

The hard, bitter seed of a legume-family plant, used whole, ground or sprouted, and responsible for the smell most people…

Exercise performance: Fenugreek extracts are marketed to raise testosterone and improve strength. The trials are small, short, frequently industry-funded and inconsistent with one another, which is not a basis for a conclusion.

Meat from sheep slaughtered under about a year old, with a distinctive flavour that comes largely from branched-chain fatty acids…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support muscle protein synthesis as a complete protein with a high leucine content. Evidence comes largely from trials of red meat and animal protein generally rather than lamb specifically.

Beef trimmings ground to a uniform texture and sold by lean-to-fat ratio, most commonly between 70% and 95% lean. The ratio is…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support muscle protein synthesis after resistance exercise. Beef supplies all essential amino acids with a high leucine content, and trials feeding whole beef report increases in muscle protein synthesis comparable to other high-quality protein sources.

A natural hybrid of watermint and spearmint, grown for its high menthol content and used fresh, dried or as an essential oil. The…

Exercise performance: Peppermint oil is marketed as an ergogenic aid on the basis of a very small number of small trials with inconsistent endpoints. There is not enough human research to say anything useful.

A pseudocereal seed from a plant related to spinach and beet, cooked and used as a grain. The USDA reference entry is for the…

Muscle protein synthesis: Contains a more complete amino acid profile than most cereal grains, including appreciable lysine. Direct human research on muscle outcomes from quinoa specifically is minimal.

The white pectoral muscle of the domestic turkey, leaner and larger-grained than chicken breast. Fresh roasting joints and…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support muscle protein synthesis as a lean complete-protein source. Trials of high-quality animal protein alongside resistance training report gains in lean mass, though turkey specifically is studied less often than beef, dairy or egg.

Meat from deer, whether wild-harvested or farmed. Because the animals are active and rarely grain-finished, the carcass carries…

Muscle protein synthesis: May support muscle protein synthesis as a very lean complete protein. The supporting research is on red meat and animal protein in general; venison itself has been studied very little in humans.

Rice milled to remove the bran and germ, leaving the starchy endosperm. The USDA reference entry is for raw grain; boiling…

Exercise performance: Has been studied as a rapidly available carbohydrate source for glycogen replacement after hard training. The underlying carbohydrate principle is well established, but trials on rice specifically are few and small.