Researchers wanted to know if eating meat versus being vegetarian affects how strong your hands are. They tested 80 healthy young adults—40 who eat meat and 40 who are vegetarian—by measuring their grip strength and how long they could squeeze as hard as possible. The results showed that people who eat meat had noticeably stronger grips and could squeeze longer than vegetarians. This suggests that the type of protein in your diet might play an important role in building and maintaining muscle strength, though more research is needed to fully understand why.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: Whether eating meat or being vegetarian affects how strong your hand grip is and how long you can squeeze
- Who participated: 80 healthy college-age adults (18-20 years old) with normal weight—40 who eat meat and 40 who are vegetarian
- Key finding: People who eat meat had grip strength about 4.4 kg stronger than vegetarians (30.18 kg vs 25.78 kg) and could squeeze for about 12 seconds longer before their muscles got tired
- What it means for you: Your diet choices may influence how strong your hands and muscles are. If you’re vegetarian and concerned about muscle strength, you might want to focus on getting enough plant-based protein. If you eat meat, make sure you’re still eating enough protein overall. This is just one study, so talk to a doctor or nutritionist before making big diet changes
The Research Details
This was a cross-sectional study, which means researchers took a snapshot in time of two groups of people and compared them. They didn’t follow people over months or years—they just measured everyone once. The researchers recruited 80 healthy young adults with normal body weight and divided them into two groups: 40 vegetarians and 40 non-vegetarians. Everyone was between 18-20 years old, which means they were all at a similar life stage.
To measure hand strength, the researchers used a special device called a handgrip dynamometer (basically a spring-loaded hand squeezer that measures how hard you can squeeze). Each person squeezed as hard as they could, and the machine recorded the force in kilograms. They also measured how long each person could maintain a squeeze at maximum effort—this tests muscle endurance.
The researchers then compared the results between the two groups using statistical analysis to see if the differences were real or just due to chance.
This approach is useful because it lets researchers quickly compare two different groups without waiting years for results. However, it can’t prove that diet causes the difference—it just shows that a difference exists. The study is important because hand grip strength is known to be connected to overall health and longevity, so understanding what affects it could help people stay healthier.
The study had a reasonable sample size (80 people) and used a standardized measurement tool, which is good. However, the study only looked at young, healthy adults with normal weight, so the results might not apply to older people, people with health conditions, or people who are overweight. The researchers didn’t measure exactly how much protein each person ate or track other diet details, so we don’t know if protein was the only difference between groups. The study is also relatively new (2025), so other scientists haven’t had much time to verify the findings yet.
What the Results Show
The main finding was clear: people who eat meat had significantly stronger hand grip strength than vegetarians. On average, meat-eaters could squeeze with a force of 30.18 kilograms, while vegetarians averaged 25.78 kilograms—a difference of about 4.4 kg. This difference was statistically significant, meaning it’s very unlikely to have happened by chance.
The second major finding involved muscle endurance—how long you can maintain a squeeze. Meat-eaters could hold their maximum squeeze for an average of 60.48 seconds, while vegetarians lasted about 48.10 seconds, a difference of roughly 12 seconds. This difference was also statistically significant and actually showed an even stronger pattern than the grip strength results.
Both findings point in the same direction: the non-vegetarian group performed better on both measures of hand and arm muscle strength and endurance. The researchers believe this is likely because animal-based proteins contain all the amino acids needed to build muscle, and meat-eaters may be getting more total protein in their diets.
The study didn’t report many secondary findings, but the consistency of results across both grip strength and endurance measures suggests the effect is real and not limited to just one type of muscle performance. The fact that both measures showed the same pattern (meat-eaters performing better) makes the findings more believable.
Previous research has shown that protein intake is important for muscle strength and that animal proteins are considered ‘complete proteins’ because they contain all nine essential amino acids your body needs. This study supports those earlier findings by showing a real-world difference between groups. However, some earlier studies have suggested that vegetarians can build strong muscles if they eat enough plant-based protein from sources like beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. This study doesn’t tell us whether the vegetarians in the group were eating optimal amounts of plant protein, so it’s not a complete comparison of vegetarian versus non-vegetarian diets done well.
This study has several important limitations. First, it only looked at young, healthy adults aged 18-20, so we don’t know if the same pattern would appear in older people or those with health conditions. Second, the researchers didn’t measure exactly what each person ate—they just knew whether they were vegetarian or not. Some vegetarians might eat lots of protein-rich foods while others might not, and the same is true for meat-eaters. Third, the study didn’t account for exercise habits, which strongly affect muscle strength. Someone who exercises regularly will have stronger muscles regardless of diet. Finally, this is a snapshot study, not a long-term follow-up, so we can’t be sure that diet caused the difference or if other factors were involved.
The Bottom Line
Based on this research, if you want to maintain strong hand and arm muscles, make sure you’re eating enough protein. If you eat meat, you’re likely getting adequate protein, but quality matters—choose lean proteins. If you’re vegetarian, focus on eating a variety of plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds, and whole grains throughout the day. Combine this with regular strength training exercises, which are even more important than diet for building muscle. These recommendations have moderate confidence because this is just one study, and more research is needed.
This research matters most for young adults concerned about maintaining muscle strength and overall health. It’s particularly relevant for vegetarians who want to make sure they’re eating enough protein. Athletes and people focused on fitness should care about this. However, if you have specific health conditions, are pregnant, or have other dietary restrictions, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before making changes. This study shouldn’t be used to convince anyone to change their diet philosophy—vegetarian diets can be very healthy if planned well.
If you change your diet to include more protein, you won’t see dramatic changes in grip strength overnight. Building muscle takes time—typically you’d need to maintain good protein intake and do strength exercises for at least 4-8 weeks before noticing measurable improvements in hand strength. Some people might see changes sooner, others might take longer depending on their genetics, exercise habits, and overall health.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Track daily protein intake in grams (aim for 0.8-1.0 grams per pound of body weight) and measure grip strength weekly using a hand dynamometer or by noting how your grip feels during daily activities. Record both metrics in your app to see if increased protein correlates with improved strength over 8-12 weeks.
- Set a daily protein target based on your body weight and log protein sources at each meal. If vegetarian, specifically track plant-based protein sources (beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds) to ensure variety and adequate intake. Add 2-3 grip strength exercises per week to your routine.
- Weekly grip strength measurements (same time of day, same hand) combined with daily protein tracking. Create a simple chart showing protein intake versus grip strength over 12 weeks to identify personal patterns. Note exercise frequency and intensity as a control variable since it strongly affects results.
This study shows an association between diet type and grip strength in young, healthy adults, but it does not prove that diet alone causes differences in muscle strength. Individual results vary based on genetics, exercise habits, overall diet quality, and other factors. Before making significant dietary changes, especially if you have health conditions, take medications, or have specific nutritional needs, consult with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian. This research should not be used to pressure anyone into changing their dietary choices or to suggest that vegetarian diets are inherently unhealthy—well-planned vegetarian diets can support excellent health and muscle development.