Will a plant-based diet impact your fitness goals?
Reducing meat and dairy doesn’t have to dampen your training efforts – providing you do your homework. Abi Jackson talks to two nutrition experts.
If pursuing fitness goals and eating a more plant-based diet are high on your agenda, you might wonder how well the two fit together. Veganism among athletes is a hot topic. Last year’s Netflix documentary, The Game Changers, saw Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton and nutritional scientists tackle ‘misconceptions’ around meat-heav y diets being essential for strength and performance.
Various sports stars have also highlighted their own plant-based (or low-meat and dairy) regimes. Tennis ace Venus Williams switched to a raw vegan diet – although she now includes occasional animal products. Footballer Jermain Defoe is “virtually vegan”, while a number of elite endurance athletes follow plant-based plans.
With pressure to reduce animalproduct consumption greater than ever too, where does this sit with our fitness efforts?
Busting the meat myth
It’s easy to see how iron and protein-rich meaty diets became synonymous with athletic prowess, but we haven’t always been such committed carnivores.
“If we look back in history, we can see certain athletic groups have had, if not plant-based, then very low animal product diets,” said performance nutritionist Nigel Mitchell, author of new book The Plant-Based Cyclist (£14.99).
“It’s suggested the diets of gladiators were predominantly plant-based, focused around grains such as spelt and barley. The traditional food of sumo wrestlers is a veg stew called chanko-nabe.
“I think the main issue has been cultural and commercial. Culturally, we have associated meat with athletic performance, and from a commercial point of view there’s been more money to be made by encouraging animal products.”
And commercial interest often leads to biases in research too. But that’s changing now, as trends shift.
Nigel, who works with leading supplement brand Healthspan, which has an Elite Nutrition range targeting fitness fans (healthspan. co.uk), added: “Over the next few years, we will see more research about meat-free diets and sport.
Get the basics right first
So, how does this apply to amateur athletes and fitness fans? First, before you even start thinking about anything else, it’s important to look at your overall nutrition. If you struggle with energy dips during or after workouts, this says more about your diet in general, rather than whether you’re having enough recovery shakes and protein bars.
Nigel said: “All too often, people just cut out animal foods without thinking about replacing with plant-based alternatives. On a macronutrient level, the main thing is protein and also omega fats. These can be supplied from plants but this needs thinking about.”
When done well, plant-based diets are increasingly associated with a host of health benefits, as NHS registered nutritionist James Collier – co-founder of Huel, a ‘complete nutrition brand’, which focuses on 100 per cent vegan, sustainably and ethically-sourced products (uk.huel.com) – points out.
He said: “The No1 point is planning: you’ll need to plan ahead in terms of shopping and food prep. Choose a varied range of foods, including a variety of fruit, vegetables, grains, pulses, nuts and seeds. This is vital to ensure a good intake of all amino acids, essential fatty acids, fibres, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.”
‘Food first’ approach
Nigel suggests focusing on highquality ingredients and cooking from scratch, as this is often more nutritious (not to mention less added salt, sugar and sweeteners) than relying too much on pre-prepared processed products.
And while protein is the main fitness nutrition buzzword, be careful about carb-bashing fads.
He said: “Ensure you get enough carbohydrate for the exercise and for recovery, this is to feed the brain and muscle. And keep well hydrated.”
James added: “Fats are often overlooked in fitness: it’s imperative to ensure a good intake of omega-3s, omega-6s and monounsaturates daily. Omega-6s and monounsaturates are relatively easy to obtain if you’re consuming oils, nuts and seeds.
“For adequate omega-3 intake, you’ll need to include flaxseeds, chia or hemp seeds or algae foods.
“As many plant proteins aren’t complete proteins, you’ll need to combine protein sources to ensure adequate intake of all essential amino acids. For example, eat beans or lentils with rice. Base meals around slow-release carbs like granary bread, sweet potato, new potatoes, oats, basmati rice or wholewheat pasta.”
What about shakes and supplements?
Supplements can be important for plant-based eaters.
James said: “Important nutrients to watch out for include vitamin B12, vitamin D and choline (vitamin B4). Vegans should consume B12-fortified foods or have a daily supplement. Choline is rich in some seeds and grains, like oats and flaxseed, but if you don’t consume enough of these, then consider a supplement.”
Nigel agrees supplements can be useful for support while you make the transition, or in the long-term.
As to whether you ‘need’ that fitness shake, Nigel added: “This depends on a lot of variables, such as what do we mean as recovery? For me, this is about the athlete being able to perform again when they need to, so we can consider recovery from a metabolic and physiological perspective.
“A shake is a simple, convenient way to get protein and carbs. But this can be provided by food. Once the shake or food is broken down, they do the same job in the body. For people following a plant-based diet, this could be a pint of soya milk and a large banana, or it could be plant-based protein in a shake.
“The main pitfall to look for is going too long without taking nutrition after hard training. This will delay recovery and can cause people to feel really hungry and binge-eat.”
Listen to your body
It’s about listening to your body, looking at your individual needs, rather than blindly following trends or buying what Instagram tells you to. Nigel said: “Enjoy your food and don’t overcomplicate things.”