The vegan diet is often criticized for its dietary restrictions and the potential deficiencies for which it is responsible. Given that food is the basis of any athlete's lifestyle, is it possible to combine sport and veganism? Can you improve your sports performance thanks to a vegan diet?

Reminder about veganism.

Veganism is more of a lifestyle than just a diet. People who adopt this mode of consumption exclude from their daily lives any product of animal origin (meat, eggs, but also fur, and animal leather) or resulting from their exploitation (wool, silk, honey). They also reject any product whose production could damage the ecosystem and destroy animal habitat, such as palm oil.

What are the differences between animal and plant proteins?

Proteins are made up of 20 amino acids, 9 of which are essential. They cannot be synthesized by the body, they can only be provided through food. Unlike products of animal origin which contain all the essential amino acids in large quantities, products of plant origin do not contain all of them in the same proportions.

For example, grains (wheat, rice, etc.) are deficient in lysine, but high in methionine, while legumes (peas, lentil, etc.) are high in lysine, but deficient in methionine.

When eating a vegan diet, it is therefore important to combine different foods to obtain a complete amino acid profile. This will allow you to optimize the quality of your protein intake and will impact your sporting performance.

At Feed., we always combine legumes and cereals to ensure an optimal intake of essential amino acids: soy, rice, pea and oat proteins.

Which plant foods are rich in protein?

Per 100 grams raw.

Vegan diet and food supplements: what to choose to avoid deficiencies?

Certain vitamins and minerals are strongly present in animal products. An absence of these products in your diet can lead to risks of deficiencies in vitamin B12, iron or calcium for example.

Vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 is necessary for the production of red blood cells as well as the repair and maintenance of tissues.

For fans of the vegan diet, however, it is strongly recommended to take vitamin B12 food supplements. In fact, the latter is only present in foods of animal origin. It is possible to resort to supplementation with other vitamins and minerals that are more difficult to obtain with a vegan diet.

The iron.

Iron is a powerful antioxidant that ensures many reactions essential to your body and the transport of oxygen. As muscle oxygenation is an essential factor in sports performance, these minerals play an important role for athletes.

Did you know ?

The tannins contained in green tea will reduce the absorption of non-heme iron while vitamin C and proteins will improve its absorption. If you consume tea, it is therefore advisable to drink it outside of meals in order to maximize the assimilation of iron by your body.

Calcium.

Calcium is a mineral essential for muscle contraction and a major component of bones. Therefore, it is very important for sportspeople.

Fruits and vegetables are a good source of calcium; especially those of the cruciferous family, i.e. turnips, radishes, watercress, cabbages, etc. They contain on average 30 mg/100g.

Vitamin D.

Vitamin D helps ensure good bone mineralization (strength and rigidity). It is therefore particularly important to limit the risk of fracture.

Did you know ?

Your skin has the ability to synthesize it naturally when exposed to the sun. In the case of vitamin D supplementation, it is recommended to take vitamin D3 in liquid form for better assimilation. Since the body is able to store it, it is not necessary to take a daily dose; a weekly or monthly dose is sufficient. Whether you are sporty or not, a varied and balanced diet will provide you with the vitamins and minerals you need. This is why supplementation is not necessarily necessary and must be implemented under medical advice.

In summary.

It is entirely possible to combine veganism and sport. It is simply more important to learn about the nutritional profile of foods in order to combine them best (especially for foods rich in protein). In addition, a vegan diet is often richer in fruits and vegetables than a non-vegan diet. This makes it possible to provide vitamins and minerals of interest for any sporting activity.