Men’s Fitness UK – September 2019

diff erence to gains in muscle mass or

strength.^1 For an 80kg man this equates to

a maximum benefi cial intake of 128g protein

per day – easily achievable on a vegan diet.

MYTH: VEGANISM MAKES IT HARD TO

GET THE FULL RANGE OF AMINO ACIDS

Proteins are made up of 20 amino acids, nine

of which are ‘essential’ because our bodies

cannot produce them on their own, so they

need to be provided by the foods we eat.

Animal foods contain all the essential amino

acids, whereas plant foods are often low in at

least one amino acid.

However, a varied and balanced vegan

diet consisting of a variety of whole plant

foods will contain all the aminos necessary

for muscle growth. For example, beans are

high in the lysine but low in methionine,

whereas grains are high in methionine and low

in lysine. So with a diet consisting of pulses,

legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruit and

vegetables, you will be getting plenty of each

individual amino acid to optimise your results.

As well as this, your body can draw from

it’s ‘free amino acid pool’ which is available

because there is a constant turnover of protein

in the body. So, if for any reason a certain

meal you eat is low in a particular amino acid,

your body can draw from this pool to balance

things out. Th at’s why there’s no need to

combine protein sources at each meal, as long

as a variety of plant protein sources are eaten

throughout the day.

MYTH: A VEGAN DIET WILL AFFECT

YOUR RECOVERY

Th is is in fact true, but perhaps not in the way

you might expect – a whole-foods vegan diet

actually improves recovery time, because of the

high level of phytonutrients and antioxidants

in plants which, on average, have 64 times the

antioxidant properties of animal foods.^2 Th is

helps to reduce exercise-induced infl ammation

and resulting muscle soreness, so for

competitive athletes the quicker recovery

from consuming a plant-based diet can get

them back training harder, sooner. Taken over

the course of a whole season or a year, the

cumulative results can be signifi cant.

Th is eff ect has been shown in numerous

studies assessing real-life performance of

athletes in both endurance and strength

settings. But you can’t cut corners by just

taking antioxidant supplements – research has

shown that taken in pill form, antioxidants

can in fact impair performance and recovery.

Th e nutrition of whole plant foods is

signifi cantly more complex than just taking

single nutrients in isolation.

MYTH: VEGAN ATHLETES DON’T

PERFORM AS WELL

Th ere is a large and fast-growing number of

vegan athletes, across a wide variety of sports/

disciplines, who are consistently surpassing

their competitors. From ultra-distance

triathletes, to boxers and bodybuilders, world-

class athletes are adopting a plant-based diet to 1.

British Journal of Sports Medicine

2.

Nutrition Journal

3.

JAMA Internal Medicine

4.

Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition

give them the edge.

Th e Tennessee Titans NFL team are a

prime example – half the team have gone

plant-based to help aid recovery and increase

energy levels. Th ese are huge 20+ stone

athletes at the top of their game. Th e same

goes for a growing number of NBA players.

Th en there’s world-record holding strongmen,

powerlifters and bodybuilders all proving that

a vegan diet doesn’t hold you back and can in

fact give you a competitive advantage.

MYTH: VEGANS ARE UNHEALTHY

OR MALNOURISHED

It’s all very well looking at world-class athletes,

but what about the rest of us who aren't

trying to win competitions and get the edge

over our opponents? Well, on average, vegans

and vegetarians live longer, and grow old

with fewer health conditions.3,4 Th ose eating

a plant-based diet, for example, tend to have

lower risk of heart disease and cancer (our two

biggest killers in the West) as well as a lower

risk of diabetes, and healthier gut profi les and

lower blood pressure.

Th e reasons are numerous. It’s partly

because plant foods are incredible nutritional

packages, fi lled with phytonutrients,

antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fi bre. But

it is also because cutting out meat and animal

products means a lower intake of saturated fat,

as well as the hormones, antibiotics, and other

carcinogenic properties found in meat and

animal products.

Tofu not only contains around 8g

of protein per 100g, it also boasts

a 'complete' amino acid profi le

IN FOCUSVEGAN MYTHS BUSTED