With a background in professional rugby, we understand the intensity and demands of elite sport. We are aware of nutritional demands and the requirements of a high protein diet necessary to successfully refuel and optimise performance.
EMCo. are committed to helping aspiring athletes and fitness enthusiasts achieve their goals, and assist with related dietary requirements, helping make quality protein sources affordable and available. Nutritional information is available on each product online, to help calorie and macronutrient tracking and monitoring.
Our online store stocks a variety of alternative and less common cuts, which are high in nutritional value and lower in cost. These items are deliberately sourced with athletes in mind, which include select beef; fillet tails, rump steak, flat iron steak and lean steak mince. All of our beef, chicken, pork and lamb products avoid any added hormones and are antibiotic free. Providing sportspeople an affordable, banned or added substance free product, which can also re-assure their ethical and environmental conscience simultaneously.
We are keen to work with athletic groups and sports organisations. We currently support Hong Kong Rugby Union athletes, and teams within the domestic Premiership. We also look to help young aspiring athletes, including national age grade and support the Sai Kung Stingrays and Sandy Bay juniors.
We are looking to extend this further and assist where we can in other sporting pursuits. Please reach out to see if we can support you and your athletes, from amateur clubs to high performance institutions.
We are also lunching our AthElite subscription meat box which will be available soon. For
health conscious trainers to full time professionals, keep an eye on our website for details.
Why is meat so good for muscle gain, recovery and performance?
Building muscle takes more than just putting hours in at the gym. While training is obviously
important, rest is equally significant. It’s during this time muscles heal from the stresses
forced on them during exercise. However, most importantly, an athlete must have the right nutrients, minerals and vitamins in their diet for adequate muscle recovery and repair.
Protein
It’s imperative for an athlete to consume a sufficient amount of protein daily to support
muscle growth and meat is an excellent source.
It has High Biological Value (HBV) and is made up of Essential Amino Acids (EAA) and Non-
Essential Amino Acids (NEAA). The body can produce NEAA naturally, whereas EAA, which is essential for protein synthesis, can not.
According to the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, strength
athletes require between 1.2g and 1.7g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day.
Endurance athletes need a protein intake of 1.2g and 1.4g of protein per kilogram of
bodyweight per day.
Therefore, a strength athlete weighing 105kg will require 126g to 177g protein daily and an
endurance athlete weighing 75kg will need between 90g and 105g protein each day.
It’s thought a typical 6oz lean fillet steak contains approximately 32g protein.
Vitamins and Minerals
Meat is naturally rich in multiple vitamins and minerals, all of which essential for muscle gain. It contains high quantities of zinc, selenium and B vitamins e.g. B 2, B 6 and B 12, as well as iron, in red meat.
Zinc, known for helping in the production of protein, assists in the recovery, repair and
growth of muscle cells as well as boosting the body’s immune system.
Selenium, an anti-oxidant, helps prevent muscle injury post-workout by preventing
oxidative damage to the healthy muscle cells, thus allowing them to repair and grow faster.
B vitamins help release energy from foods meaning an athlete will have a much more
energetic and worthwhile workout. B6 and B12 even have specialised roles that directly relate to muscle growth. B6 is needed for AA metabolism and B12 is required for maintaining nerve function, thus allowing muscles to contract.
A 4oz lean cut of beef provides your body with approximately 50% of the RDA of B6 and
25% of the RDA of B12. Iron, known for boosting energy levels and combating fatigue, also helps facilitate the production of red blood cells. These then transport oxygen around the body and helps stimulate cell growth – particularly in the muscles.
Creatine
Naturally found in meat, creatine is a nitrogen-containing compound that provides muscles
with energy and helps improve protein synthesis, thus encouraging muscle gain.
90% of creatine is found in the muscles with the remaining 10% in the heart and brain.
Essentially, meat is well-balanced and excellent natural source of various elements crucial
for muscle growth. However, meat can be high in saturated fats so, for optimum muscle growth, it’s recommended athletes choose lean cuts and lean steaks.
We hope our range of products are able to fuel your nutritional needs and we can assist
with your sporting success and endeavours.
EMCo.