For lots of years many people thought that if you want to be a good athlete, you have to eat a lot of meat and dairy products. Now there is a whole different category of athletes who are choosing plants to perform. Now there is becoming so many plant based athlete that we can study the benefits more closely.
Findings are clear! When you choose to eat more vegetables and plants, you will start to feel a positive difference in your body. You will for sure feel a better performance in relation to your sport. Studies and experiments show, on the contrary, that a lifestyle with lots of dairy products and meat has no greater benefit for the body than plants, and therefore you will not be able to perform at your maximum if you forget to eat your vegetables.
It is not uncommon that top athletes will do almost anything to perform better. Some athletes have the strangest rituals and eat disgusting foods to increase their performance by a few percent. But in this case, don’t do anything strange and don’t eat anything strange. You just have to increase your vegetable and carbohydrate consumption and decrease the animal consumption.
In fact, more and more 100% plant-eating athletes are appearing around the world. Even if you don’t feel like it’s time to cut out all meat/dairy from your diet, you can get lots of great ideas and still take advantage of some of the many benefits of a plant-based diet by starting to cut back the animal.
Benefits when changing your diet
– The Body Avoids Constipation
When you eat lots of fruit, vegetables and whole grains, your body gets foods that have a high fiber content. The fibers help your body with digestion and minimize a bloated stomach and diseases that can set you and your training back. In fact, fiber is what most people lack in the western world, and since studies have proven that plant-based people get plenty of protein, the question is not “where do you get protein from”, but actually “where do you get fiber from”?
– Increased Endurance
Many plant-based athletes feel very high endurance and can therefore perform better when training. Endurance is important in all sports, from martial arts to running competitions. There are many reasons why you get better endurance. Some of the reasons could be that you get to eat more carbohydrates and fruit sugar, which provide good energy for the brain, muscles and body. Vegetables, fruits and other carbohydrates are easily digestible and the body does not have to use much energy to digest them as if they were animal products. Another explanation could be that you eat much less fat. Therefore, there is not much fat in the bloodstream and the heart can pump the blood around the body faster.
– Fast Recovery Time
When you talk to the various plant-based athletes, there is one answer that repeats itself. Most of these athletes find that they recover incredibly quickly. This is probably the biggest reason why this diet is becoming popular among athletes. Fast recovery = Train more = Become better. The reason you recover is due to various factors, but the biggest factor is that it is easy for the body to utilize all the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and proteins found in healthy plant-based foods. It is not only protein that ensures that your muscles recover. The body needs various vitamins, minerals and fluids. When you sweat a lot, you excrete many of these vitamins, minerals and fluid, and all of this has to go back into the body again. The muscles in the body are made up of cells that store sugar and carbohydrates. It is therefore important that you eat carbohydrates before and after training.
– Increased Energy Levels
When you figure out how to eat a healthy plant-based diet in the right way, you will experience an energy boost. It occurs as a result of better digestion and better blood circulation. Most plant-based athletes eat according to a method called High Carb Low Fat, which means that you get the majority of your calories from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are humans’ primary source of energy. This energy source will convert into energy the fastest. In addition, there are carbohydrates that you burn quickly, but also carbohydrates such as starch that give you energy for a long time. The low fat part is not meant to make you afraid of fat, you need good fat sources. Get your fat from vegetables like avocado, olives, nuts & seeds.
– Healthier Blood Circulation
Cutting down or avoiding animal products will keep your arteries nice and clean so you don’t have to worry about your cholesterol and clogged arteries. When you are nice and clean inside, the blood can pump faster around the body and therefore you will be able to perform better. Clean arteries will help you with better endurance, strength and recovery. In addition, the lungs are part of the blood circulation and this will mean that you will also be able to breathe better with a healthier circulation. Plant-based diets are low in cholesterol and saturated fat, so that means that you can count on maintaining cardiovascular health with ease. When your cardiovascular system is in good shape, it’s easier to breathe, maintain stamina and stay motivated throughout your training and competitions. The more fat you eat, the harder it is for your blood cells to pass each other in your bloodstream. Therefore, you must remember to eat your carbohydrates and get your proteins from plants.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5598028/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16573356/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348441698_Update_on_vegetarian_and_vegan_athletes_a_review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6089671/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2021.756810/full