Men’s Fitness UK – September 2019

a vegandiethas

skyrocketedin

recentyearsandit

showsnosignof

slowingdown.Everyonehastheirownreasons

forswitchingtoa plant-baseddiet,including

theethical– likehelpingtopreventanimal

cruelty– andtheenvironmental:wantingto

dramaticallyreducetheircarbonfootprint.

However,as a registerednutritionist

specialisinginveganandvegetariannutrition,

I’vefoundoneofthemainconcernsfrom

gth and fitness enthusiasts is this: they

totread a little lighter in this world, but

e it’ll come at considerable cost to their

rmance and results.

et you only have to look at the growing

berof world-class vegan athletes as

f that a plant-based diet doesn’t hold

back. In fact, many are discovering it

give them a competitive edge. Still, the

onceptions surrounding veganism from

a fitnessperspective continue. My mission,

therefore, is to knock these myths on the head

onceand for all, using a scientific, evidence-

basedapproach.

MYTH: VEGANS CAN’T GET ENOUGH

PROTEIN TO BUILD MUSCLE

Youcertainly 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 (including beans,

chickpeas, and lentils) contain around 15-20g

of protein per cup, and other high-protein

foods like tofu, tempeh and seitan contain

around 20-25g per serving (equivalent to four

or 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 supplements available.

( More on those on p52)

What’s more, protein requirements are

very often overestimated in the fitness world.

It’s true that increasing protein intake can help

to promote muscle synthesis when combined

with strength training. Historically, trainers

have therefore recommended up to 3g of

protein per kg of bodyweight (i.e. 240g of

protein a day for an 80kg man). But a recent

review combining results from 49 controlled

studies showed that protein intakes above 1.6g

per kg of bodyweight per day made no further

ds

of Doubt

VEGANISM MIGHT BE BEST FOR THE PLANET, BUT A

LACK OF PROTEIN AND VITAL NUTRIENTS MEAN IT’S

NOT THE BEST APPROACH FOR THE WAY YOU LOOK

OR TRAIN. THAT, AT LEAST, IS WHAT MANY PEOPLE STILL

BELIEVE, BUT NUTRITIONIST TJ WATERFALL SAYS IT’S

MERELY A MYTH – AND ONE OF MANY THAT CAN BE

DISPROVED WITH RECENT RESEARCH