WHAT CHAMPION ATHLETES EAT TO STAY ON TOP OF THEIR GAME

• Gene Baur

President of Farm Sanctuary and author of Living The Farm Sanctuary Life: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Mindfully, Living Longer, and Feeling Better Every Day

We grow up being told that meat and other animal products are nutritious and necessary for building strong bodies and fueling athletic performance. But the fact is, due to plants’ high carbohydrate, low fat, and protein-rich composition, we can live well and maintain a high athletic standard while eating a plant-based diet.

Fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes have fueled athletes for centuries. Indeed, 2,000 years ago, Roman gladiators endured grueling training schedules on a vegetarian diet. Fast-forward a few millennia, and plenty of modern-day fighters still swear by a plant-based regimen. In the film Forks over Knives, mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Mac Danzig extolls the benefits of plant-based nutrition on camera. Other successful fighters who adhere to similar nutrition plans include Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) heavyweight Mark Hunt, heavyweight boxer and 2016 Olympian Cam Awesome, and welterweight boxing champion Timothy Bradley, who ended the legendary Manny Pacquiao’s seven-year undefeated streak in 2012.

Plant-fueled athletes have also succeeded at the highest levels of endurance, strength, and speed competitions. Scott Jurek is a legendary endurance runner and ultra-marathon champion, who won the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run seven times as a vegan. Meanwhile, vegan strongman Patrik Baboumian set a Guinness World Record in 2015 by carrying more than 1,200 pounds for ten meters.

Still, animal products remain front and center at many sporting events and fill the pages of fitness publications. Various industries maintain marketing agreements with sporting and health organizations, and may even sponsor competitions. After finishing several marathons and triathlons, I’ve had to politely turn down containers of cow’s milk thrust on athletes at the finish line by well-meaning volunteers.

There is plenty of truth to the old adage, We are what we eat; our food gives us energy, which is then incorporated into the cells of our bodies. Of course, eating an ox won’t make you as strong as one—ironically, oxen derive much of their strength from eating plants. Science is on my side here, and many health and nutrition experts have spent years trying to debunk the idea that animal products are a key component of athletic preparation.

Over the past decade, these voices of reason have increased substantially in both numbers and volume. Take Brendan Brazier, a Canadian 50K ultra-marathon champion, who has spent years perfecting his own plant-based nutrition supplement called Vega. Brazier has consulted as a trainer for Hollywood celebrities as well as a wide range of professional athletes. But Brazier is just the tip of the iceberg. With growing awareness about the myriad health problems associated with animal-heavy diets, more and more citizens are learning firsthand the benefits of reducing everyday meat consumption. If you’re an athlete looking to incorporate some extra plant-based protein into your diet, here are a few simple tips to help get you started:

• Mix chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans into your salad. These legumes have as much as 10 grams of protein per serving.
• Blend almond, soy, or cashew milk into your favorite fresh or frozen fruits for a thick and creamy high-protein shake. (Fun fact: Soy milk has the highest protein count of all non-dairy milks, equal to the protein found in a same-size serving of cow’s milk.)
• Accompany vegetable stir-fries with quinoa, a grain loaded with around 6 grams of protein per serving.
• Supercharge your morning with a firm or extra-firm tofu scramble breakfast. Extra-firm tofu is a complete protein, meaning it contains the nine essential amino acids the body needs to help maintain muscle, bone, and organs.
• Remember, veggies and fruits can themselves be valuable sources of protein—1 cup of cooked spinach has nearly 5 grams. Popeye was on to something after all.