Sports & Nutrition on a Vegan Diet: Everything You Need to Know

From building muscle to improving cardiovascular endurance, a vegan or plant-based diet can provide all of the nutrients you need to train and compete – whether you are just starting out or competing at the highest level.

In Partnership with:

The world of sports nutrition is undergoing a revolution, bringing to light the many advantages a fully plant-based diet can offer.

Vegan athletes all over the world are demonstrating just how amazing plants are as a sports fuel – and they have top-level results to prove it.

According to studies examining the impact of diet on our health and athletic performance, a vegan diet not only offers a wealth of health benefits, it can also improve your performance, stamina and recovery.[1-6]

Where do vegans get their protein?

All plants contain protein and all of the essential amino acids. The best plant sources of protein include pulses (lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas and soya), nuts, seeds and wholegrains (wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta and brown rice).

Plant protein is just as effective at building muscle as protein from animal sources when combined with the same amount of resistance training. As long as you meet your protein requirements, you can trust that a plant-based diet can fuel your high-intensity workout in the gym, your long Sunday morning run and your kickboxing class.

More on macronutrient requirements

 

High-Protein Vegan Meal Plan

Try our high-protein programme for a week’s worth of super tasty, easy vegan recipes, with extra protein.

“Whether you are plant-curious or a long-time vegan, you will find everything you need to know about how to build muscle and be healthy on a plant-based diet inside of the v7 high protein meal plan.  For a comprehensive assortment of high protein, nutrient-dense recipes and meal plans, look no further to get the assistance you need to be at your best as a high-achieving athlete. In addition, you will find a plethora of resources that will help to answer most of your questions on why plant-based protein is best for performance, recovery, the animals and the planet. Plants have all the protein you need!” — Giacomo Marchese, Vegan Strong PlantBuilt Founder

Try Now

Recovery

Wholesome vegan diets significantly lower the levels of inflammation in the body which is important for recovery.[7] The micro damage that naturally happens in the muscles and other tissues when you’re physically active is being constantly repaired – but any damage within the body also triggers small inflammatory reactions. A plant-based diet, with its antioxidants, phenols, polyunsaturated fats and fibre, lowers these inflammatory reactions, limits damage and helps a faster recovery.[8] Many meat-eating athletes take antioxidant supplements but when you go vegan, you don’t need any extra help!

Stamina

Research shows that plant-based diets increase athletes’ aerobic capacity, which leads to a greater time to exhaustion and to performance improvement[9][10] – which is helpful for both strength and endurance training. Other studies have revealed that runners fuelled by plants have better-quality diets overall and increased stamina when compared to their meat-eating counterparts.[11][12]

All the complex carbohydrates from plants help to maintain glycogen (energy) stores in your muscles whilst also providing sustained energy release. At the same time, the lack of hard-to-digest animal protein makes you less tired. A healthy vegan diet is the best diet to help you improve your performance.

References
  1. Song M, Fung TT, Hu FB, Willett WC, Longo VD, Chan AT, Giovannucci EL. 2016. Association of Animal and Plant Protein Intake With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality. JAMA Internal Medicine. 176 (10)1453-1463.
  2. Lynch H, Johnston C, Wharton C. 2018. Plant-Based Diets: Considerations for Environmental Impact, Protein Quality, and Exercise Performance. Nutrients. 10 (12). pii: E1841.
  3. Wirnitzer K, Boldt P, Lechleitner C, Wirnitzer G, Leitzmann C, Rosemann T, Knechtle B.2018. Health Status of Female and Male Vegetarian and Vegan Endurance Runners Compared to Omnivores-Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2). Nutrients. 11 (1). pii: E29.
  4. Barnard ND, Goldman DM, Loomis JF, Kahleova H, Levin SM, Neabore S, Batts TC. 2019. Plant-Based Diets for Cardiovascular Safety and Performance in Endurance Sports. Nutrients. 11 (1). pii: E130.
  5. Gazzani D, Zamboni F, Spelta F, Ferrari P, Mattioli V, Cazzoletti L, Zanolin E, Tardivo S, Ferrari M. 2019. Vegetable but not animal protein intake is associated to a better physical performance: a study on a general population sample of adults. Food and Nutrition Research. 63: 3422.
  6. Boutros GH, Landry-Duval MA, Garzon M, Karelis AD. 2020. Is a vegan diet detrimental to endurance and muscle strength? European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. [published online ahead of print, 2020 Apr 24]. 10.1038/s41430-020-0639-y.
  7. Sutliffe JT, Wilson LD, de Heer HD, Foster RL, Carnot MJ. 2015. C-reactive protein response to a vegan lifestyle intervention. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 23(1) 32-37.
  8. Barnard ND, Goldman DM, Loomis JF, Kahleova H, Levin SM, Neabore S, Batts TC. 2019. Plant-Based Diets for Cardiovascular Safety and Performance in Endurance Sports. Nutrients. 11 (1). pii: E130.
  9. Lynch HM, Wharton CM, Johnston CS. 2016. Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Peak Torque Differences between Vegetarian and Omnivore Endurance Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study. Nutrients. 8 (11). pii: E726.
  10. Boutros GH, Landry-Duval MA, Garzon M, Karelis AD. 2020. Is a vegan diet detrimental to endurance and muscle strength? European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. [published online ahead of print, 2020 Apr 24]. 10.1038/s41430-020-0639-y.
  11. Turner-McGrievy GM, Moore WJ, Barr-Anderson D. 2016. The Interconnectedness of Diet Choice and Distance Running: Results of the Research Understanding the Nutrition of Endurance Runners (RUNNER) Study. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 26 (3) 205-211.
  12. Wirnitzer K, Boldt P, Lechleitner C, Wirnitzer G, Leitzmann C, Rosemann T, Knechtle B.2018. Health Status of Female and Male Vegetarian and Vegan Endurance Runners Compared to Omnivores-Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2). Nutrients. 11 (1). pii: E29.

 

Being Vegan

runners

The Vegan Edge

A vegan diet offers many advantages to athletes. Here, we explore what they are, how diet affects your performance and why plants are the best sports fuel.

couple eating healthy breakfast

Fuelling your performance

Switching to plants as your main fuel will reward you with more energy, stamina, easier breathing and faster recovery. Here are the main rules for how to eat to be at your best.

bowls of noodle dish

Nutrition basics

A varied, wholesome vegan diet is the best choice for athletes but to fuel your body right, it’s best to be aware of nutrition basics – what we need and where we get it from.

plant foods

Natural diet

The question of what a natural diet for humans is pops up very often. Here, we take a closer look at what our bodies truly need and thrive on.

variety of foods on table

Essential food groups

A healthy vegan diet that will support your athletic endeavours consists of these essential food groups. They are crucial to smart meal planning, so don’t skip any of them!

food ingredients

How to plan your meals

Following these meal-planning guidelines will increase your energy levels, speed up recovery after training, improve your digestion and make you feel more balanced.

people eating snack in gym

Snacks

Snacking is important for your athletic game so it pays off to do it well. Here’s how!

meal plan

Sample meal plans

Meal plans to get you inspired! They follow our meal planning rules and fit nutrient requirements for each athlete category.

buddha bowl

Vegan sports nutrition recipes

Delicious and easy vegan recipes for athletes and active people. Healthy, nutritious and bursting with recovery-boosting antioxidants!

man preparing food

How and where to start

Excited about kick-starting your health and athletic performance with plants? Here are the key steps to success!

woman with battle ropes

What to expect

Changing your diet to a wholefood vegan one will boost your energy levels, stamina, digestion, recovery and more but it won’t happen overnight – find out how your body gradually adapts.

Vegan Sports and Fitness Guide Leaflet

This handy 15 page leaflet will tell you everything you need to know about optimising your athletic performance and maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle whilst on a vegan diet.

Available from the Viva! Shop.

Order Now

FAQs

Your questions answered by members of Vegan Strong PlantBuilt, a team of champion vegan bodybuilders and athletes.

Scroll up