The vegan and plant-based diet have gained attention among the community and recently there is a
surge in the number of people adopt this eating style. As there are a bunch of studies showing its
purported health benefits.

Bodybuilders and athletes are among the groups started to gain interest in plant-based living and diet.

What is a vegan bodybuilding diet?
The main goal of bodybuilding is to develop and grow muscle through intensive resistance training and
diet.

Nutrition plays an important role in muscle development. In order for optimal muscle growth to occur,
evidence has shown protein intake should be rather high around 1.6g – 2.2g per kg of body weight. [1]

Initially, animal source foods are the staple for bodybuilding due to their high protein and calorie
content.

The vegan diet is considered devoid of protein content compared to the normal diet.

Yet, with perfect and careful diet planning, a vegan diet may provide a sufficient intake of protein.
Overall, will yield the same or even better muscle development compared to animal diet.

High protein and  plant-based food
Protein is one of the main contributors to muscle buildings. Most vegan source protein sources are
considered an incomplete protein, lacking the essential amino acids profile. Thus, it is important to
consume a higher amount and a wider amount of this food. Moreover, complete and quality plant-
based protein would be a helping hand in a vegan bodybuilding diet.

There are a wide range of quality plant-based protein sources, such as: [2]
►Seitan
►Tofu
►Legumes
►Quinoa

Vegan protein powders can also boost your protein intake needs by providing concentrated sources of
protein surrounding workouts and throughout the day. [3]


References

1. Carbone, J. W., & Pasiakos, S. M. (2019). Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit. Nutrients, 11(5), 1136. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051136
2. Hertzler, S. R., Lieblein-Boff, J. C., Weiler, M., & Allgeier, C. (2020). Plant Proteins: Assessing Their Nutritional Quality and Effects on Health and Physical Function. Nutrients, 12(12), 3704. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123704
3. Wirnitzer KC (2020) Vegan Diet in Sports and Exercise – Health Benefits and Advantages to Athletes and Physically Active People: A Narrative Review. Int J Sports Exerc Med 6:165.https://doi.org/10.23937/2469-5718/1510165