OCTOBER 2019 MEN’SFITNESS 99AGROWINGNUMBEROFWORLD-CLASSVEGANATHLETESPROVETHATAPLANT-BASEDDIETDOESN’THOLDYOUBACK.
Thenumberofpeopleadopting
a vegandiethasskyrocketedin
recentyearsandit showsnosign
ofslowingdown.Everyonehas
theirownreasonsforswitching
toa plant-baseddiet,including
theethical– likehelpingto
preventanimalcruelty– and
theenvironmental:wantingto
reducetheircarbonfootprint.
However,asa registerednutritionist
specialisinginveganandvegetarian
nutrition,I’vefoundoneofthemain
concernsfromstrengthandfitness
enthusiastsisthis:theywantto
treada littlelighterinthisworld,but
assumeit willcomeatconsiderable
costtotheirperformanceandresults.
Yetyouonlyhavetolookatthe
growingnumberofworld-class
veganathletesasproofthata plant-
baseddietdoesn’tholdyouback.In
fact,manyarediscoveringit could
givethema competitiveedge.Still,
themisconceptionssurrounding
veganismfroma fitnessperspective
continue.Mymission,therefore,is
toknockthesemythsonthehead
onceandforall,usinga scientific,
evidence-basedapproach.■ You don’t need
meat, fish or animal
products to get your
protein fix. There’s
a surprisingly high
amount of protein
in most plant-based
foods. Pulses. (eg,
beans, chickpeas,
and lentils) contain
around 15-20g of
protein per cup, and
other high-protein
foods like tofu and
tempeh contain
around 20-25g per
serving (equivalent
to four-five eggs).Then,when
you factor in
the significant
amounts in whole
grains, nuts, seeds,
vegetables, and
even fruit, it’s easy
to see how simple
it is to get plenty
of protein from
plants when the
diet is balanced
and varied. And
that’s before you
even start to look
at the excellent
vegan protein
supps available.What’smore,
protein advice
is very often
overestimated in
the fitness world.
Yes, it’s true that
increasing protein
intake can help to
promote muscle
synthesis when
combined with
strength training.
Historically,
trainers have
recommended up
to 3g of protein per
kg of body weight (ie,
240g of protein a dayMYTH
Vegans can’t get enough protein to build muscleThe rise of
veganism is
all around us Tofu not only contains
around 8g of protein per
100g, it also boasts
a “complete” amino
acid profile.8g
for an 80kg man).
But a recent review
combining results
from 49 controlled
studies showed
that protein intakes
above 1.6g per kg
of body weight per
day made no further
difference to gains
in muscle mass or
strength. For an
80kg man, this
equates to a max
beneficial intake of
128g protein per day- easily achievable
on a vegan diet.
◆ Jurek is a freak of
nature – and he’s fuelled
by it, too. The vegan
athlete, who follows a 100
percent plant-based diet,
has claimed victories in
some of ultrarunning’s
toughest events,
including the historic
245km Spartathlon,
the Hardrock 100
(160km), the Badwater
Ultramarathon (217km)
and the Western States
100-Mile (160km)
Endurance Run, which he
won seven times straight.Fullofbeans
ScottJurekUltramarathonrunnerWho needs steak? This
guy can run for days,
and he’s 100% vegan.