The thought process nowadays typically goes “Meat = protein = muscle” But what if you are vegetarian, or perhaps looking to adopt a more plant based diet?
Alexander Dargatz, (bodybuilder), Patrik Baboumian (strongman), Rob Bigwood (armwrestler), Torre Washington (bodybuilder), David Haye (boxer)... what do all of these individuals have in common?
Well for one, they are all record holding athletes which is impressive in itself, but what could come as a surprise is the fact that every one of these athletes are vegan!
Fortunately, protein is protein is protein is protein whether it comes from a cow or from lentils. By eating a variety of plant based foods, you can get all essential amino acids just as you would from animal based foods. One of the main differences lies in the fact that most plant based sources of protein are not an isolated source of protein, so this means they also contain some carbs and fats which do contain additional calories making it a bit more difficult to accumulate the higher amounts of protein for the same amount of calories.
However, it is far from impossible and there are many studies that suggest the high amounts of protein indicated for such individuals wanting to build or maintain muscle mass may be a bit of an overkill and not totally necessary.
David Haye notes that, “Apes are 20 times stronger than humans and they don’t rely on a meat-based diet.”
In either case, you do have options and with a focus on planning and varying your food sources, you can maintain the same macronutrient balance that supports your current lifestyle and goals whether it comes from plant based foods or animal based foods.
In an interview, Rob Bigwood said,
"I used to weigh 285 lbs (130kgs), be sluggish and relied too much on coffee throughout the day. Now I’m down to 250 lbs (113kgs), have incredible energy and overall feel like a new person."
Can you do this with vegan pizza and potato chips? Sadly, no, it certainly would be tasty if that were the case. But, just as in a diet that relies on animal based proteins, these snack favorites can still be included, with a bit of planning!
The options for vegan protein supplements have grown and improved dramatically over the last few years as well! So, thankfully, you aren’t doomed to gritty protein shakes that taste like dirt either!!
If you are skeptical about having the ability to maintain the muscle mass you have already worked hard for as well as continuing to have the ability to progress further after adopting a plant based diet, just check out the athletes named above, or ask an elephant!
*The resources and links listed are only suggested as sources for further exploration. They do not necessarily imply endorsement. **Photos taken from Google
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