Athletes who follow a vegan diet – Sport.fr

The first reaction will be: No, it’s impossible, they need a lot of protein, iron, energy, etc… They will have a lot of deficiencies. You cannot imagine a top athlete going without animal protein to develop and maintain their muscles. Nothing could be further from the truth. From soccer stars to tennis pros, more and more world-class athletes are turning to herbs to enhance their health and fitness. Below we will see a few who have excluded all animal products from their diet and who have not prevented complete success in their sports career, in many disciplines.

Famous shortcomings that athletes are still waiting for

proteins

In fact, a varied and well-balanced vegetarian diet will have no shortcomings with a few exceptions. Let’s get rid of all the prejudices already, there is no protein that plants don’t lack. If you eat in adequate amounts, any number of calories adapted to your weight and needs, there are all the necessary amino acids. There are also many vegetable protein powders in addition if needed: https://proteines-vegetales.fr

Vitamins and minerals

Again, there is no risk of deficiency except for an essential vitamin. However, note that this deficiency is not limited to a vegan diet and that some omnivores may also need supplementation: poor absorption, the elderly, etc.

Vitamin B12 is completely absent in a vegetarian or even vegan diet because it is usually insufficient. So it would be necessary for them to complement each other.

For all others, you will have no problem getting the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). Let’s mention iodine, which may require supplementation if you don’t eat enough seaweed, and vitamin D.

That is, these few problematic elements can all be found at the same time in one supplement taken daily or even on a weekly basis, which is therefore non-binding.

It may be interesting for athletes, which is the subject of this article, to add creatine to their diet, which is an important source of immediate energy for muscles.

The long awaited list of world famous vegan athletes is finally here!

Here is a small list, of course not exhaustive because there are a lot of them, from world-famous athletes who follow an exclusively vegan diet.

1 / Patrick Baboumian (Tough Guy)

Those familiar with The Game Changers documentary and vegan veterans will recognize Patrik Baboumian.

In 2011, as a pure vegan athlete, he became the World’s Strongest Man, which was the first time a vegan had won this title. He also won the 2012 European Weightlifting Championships in Finland, defeating the strongest men from across the continent.

Baboumian is incredibly strong and watching him carry insane loads is enough to turn any regular gym runner into a vegan.

In 2013, he told his followers:

“This is a message to anyone who thinks you need animal products to be healthy and strong. Nearly two years after becoming a vegan, I am stronger than ever and getting better every day. Don’t listen to self-proclaimed nutrition gurus and the supplement industry trying to tell you You need meat, eggs and dairy products to get enough protein. »

“There are many sources of plant-based protein, and your body will thank you for stopping feeding it dead food. Go vegan and feel strong!”

2 / Scott Jurek (marathoner)

Ultrarunner Scott Jurek proves you don’t need meat or dairy to excel in athletic performance.

He completed the entire Appalachian Trail in a record time of 46 days, eight hours, and seven minutes.

He has also won the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon, “the world’s toughest sprint race,” twice and the 153-mile Spartathlon in Greece three times in a row.

He has tamed all the most prestigious races in the world of super horse racing, without any products of animal origin (POA)!

Scott told No Meat Athlete: “Most people assume you have to eat animal products to gain muscle mass, but that has now been proven completely wrong.”

3 / Lewis Hamilton (Formula 1 driver)

Hamilton is such a staunch supporter of animal rights, he’s been turning the corner for 6 years now after watching the Netflix documentary: What the Health. Before he gets too committed to this path, I quote: “Fighting animal cruelty, global warming, and our own personal health.”

He went even further when he created his own vegan fast food chain: Neat Burger.

He credits his vegan diet as the reason for his athletic success and improved energy levels. Speaking to Men’s Health magazine, the pilot explained, “I have more energy, and I’m more productive. I wake up feeling so much better, clearer in my thoughts and fresher in my body… I’m physically in better shape than I’ve ever been, and I’m Better than ever now, and my herbal program has played a huge part in this.”

4/ Tia Blanco (surfer)

Vegan surfer Tia Blanco’s career changed for the better after she switched to an all-vegan diet in 2013. In fact, she grew up in a vegan family and was about 11 or 12 years old when she started asking the questions: “Why are you vegan?” After doing my research, And in the face of all the nonsense that was said, I chose to remain so in every conscience.”

Just three years later, in 2016, she became the first female surfer to win back-to-back gold medals after 1996 at the World Surfing Championships at the age of 19.

5 / Alex Morgan (football player)

Like many, she didn’t think it was possible to play at a professional level on an exclusively vegan diet. I eventually found that it wasn’t harmful at all.

She is an Olympic gold medalist and FIFA Women’s World Cup champion.

Alex Morgan is now a staunch proponent of a plant-based diet to achieve peak athletic performance.

In 2019, Morgan was named PETA’s Most Beautiful Vegetarian Personality of 2019 alongside fellow athlete Kyrie Irving.

6 / Novak Djokovic (tennis player).

We cannot fail to mention Novak Djokovic, multiple winner of the four Grand Slams and often the world number one in tennis, who follows a daily vegetarian diet.

At the age of 35, Djokovic should be close to retiring from the sport, but he is still at the top of his game. He told a news conference: “It’s more of a way of life than a diet because you also have ethical reasons, to be aware of what’s going on in the animal world. It’s more than a performance for me, it’s a way of life, it’s something I’m really proud of.”

It also has a restaurant in Monaco, feel free to settle in for a meal while staying there!