WILL GOING VEGAN AFFECT PERFORMANCE?

We ask the questions that beginners are dealing with and get answers from the experts...

SAMANTHA TAYLOR BRITISH TRIATHLETE AND BRAND AMBASSADOR AT BETTERYOU LTD

“In my experience it will affect your performance – but in a positive way. The main benefit I found from changing to a plant-based diet is that my recovery rate and overall energy levels greatly improved. Vegan food doesn’t always necessarily mean healthy - it’s whole, real plant-based food that is good for you - so when changing to eating plants it’s important to get a variety, think lots of colour. This ensures that you get all the highquality nutrients you need, which is what I believe led to the improvements in my recovery rate. It’s also important to make sure you eat enough, this is vital if you have a high-intensity training schedule. A plate of salad, vegetables and rice can contain a lot less calories than meat and two veg. I like eating, so I love that I can have three meals a day as well as snacks, such as fruit and nuts, and continue to feel healthy and full of energy, while on a vegan diet. Vegan food also tends to be easy to digest, so the body focuses on using energy to cycle.”

JONATHAN CARNALL FOUNDER ‘EAT PLANTS NOT PIGS’ CYCLING CLUB

“Based on my experiences as a vegan cyclist and those of vegan pro rider Adam Hansen (first rider in history to complete 20 consecutive Grand Tours), I’d recommend sticking to a wholefoods plantbased diet as closely as possible. This will keep you aligned with the ethics of veganism but will also make sure that your nutrition is optimal in both the long and short term. If you switch to a wholefoods plant-based diet, make sure to include plenty of fresh fruit and veg along with beans, legumes, nuts and seeds, while limiting processed foods as much as possible. If you do this then I would expect you to notice some significant improvements in energy levels, which will lead to greater capacity to train hard and recover quickly. It’s worth noting that B12 and iron deficiencies (often cited as a major concern for vegans) are also a problem for non-vegans, with many people having sub-optimal levels, despite eating animal products. After doing some further research with regards to B12 it turns out that in many cases, farm animals are now being supplemented with B12/cobalt because modern farming practices and the sterile and segregated environments that we all now live in do not give us access to the B12 producing bacteria that we would have once had. There are plenty of vegan athletes groups on social media and a hugely informative website at nutritionfacts.org.”

“SO WHEN CHANGING TO EATING PLANTS IT’S IMPORTANT TO GET A VARIETY, THINK LOTS OF COLOUR”