Fuelling Your Training On A Vegan Diet
We all know that eating a vegan diet is better for the environment, but that comes at the cost of becoming skinny and weak, right? There’s still a huge misconception within the general public that you need to consume a tonne of animal protein to build muscle. But, whilst protein is especially important for anyone with a demanding training schedule, it is still possible to fuel your training on a plant-based diet, and - as documentaries such as Netflix’s Game Changers and BBC’s footballer goes vegan have shown – even boost your performance.
The notion that veganism could actually aid athleticism has been gathering significant traction throughout the media, mostly thanks to prominent vegan athletes such as Strongman competitor Patrik Baboumaian, Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin, Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton and even tennis star Novak Djokovic. Forest Green football club also hit the headlines when it became the first fully vegan club back in 2015. There'll be no milk in your tea or steak pies served at half time if you visit Forest Green - the club’s chairman is a passionate about the impact of veganism on the environment, animal welfare as well as health and performance. Although lasagne used to be a firm pre-match favourite, red meat is slow to digest, and so eating this before a game could have been hindering the player’s performance. Now, they eat simple, carb-heavy meals that are quick to digest and full of energy.
So, what do you need to be eating?
First and foremost, to perform optimally you need to be eating a varied and balanced diet of fruits, veggies and other wholefoods is key. (Check out our article on what vitamins and minerals you could be missing on a vegan diet, here.)
In terms of protein specifically, a normal adult will need about 0.75g per kg of body weight per day. For endurance athletes and those who are super active, this requirement goes up to 1.2-1.7g per day. This is crucial for helping your muscles repair and grow after tough training sessions; so get chomping on tofu, tempeh, quinoa, beans, lentils and vegan protein powders to hit your intake.
Unsure where to start?
If you’re looking to boost performance, you need to make sure you’re eating hearty, wholesome and carb-heavy meals. Carbs are certainly nothing to be scared of – they’ll give you the energy you need and will replenish your muscles fast post-workout. Start the day with a big bowl of protein oatmeal or a stack of pancakes instead of a lighter smoothie. Incorporate some tasty snacks too, like the chocolate nut butter bar recipe below, to keep your energy levels topped up throughout the day.
Protein Oatmeal
This chai spiced oats recipe is what we call comfort food. Warming, gently spiced and sweet - exactly what we need to persuade us out of bed on a cold Autumn morning!
Get the recipe, here.
Easy Breezy Pancakes
Pancakes: they seem like a treat when actually, they’re full of everything you need to fuel your day. This is our fool-proof, basic protein pancake recipe, designed to be easy to remember and hard to get wrong (we tested it on some friends who are, lets says ‘challenged’ in the kitchen and they had no problem)!
Get the recipe, here.
Chocolate Nut Butter Bars
It's a well-known fact at Neat HQ that there's no greater dessert combo than chocolate and nut butter. And these soft and gooey nut butter squares certainly hit the spot!
Get the recipe, here.