How to build Muscle on a Vegan Diet

With veganismn on the rise more and more athletes trying vegan diet to enhance their health and performance. Stereotypes like „it is impossible to build muscles without meat“ got crushed thanks to guys like Namai Delgado (who never ate meat in his life) or Mischa Janiec who won a natural bodybuilding competiton as a vegan. There's also a new movie in the cinemas with bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger who promotes a plant based-diet for athletes and shows the benefits and successes of it. Today, we know its possible to build muscles and enhance performance with a vegan diet. The challenge for most people is the lack of knowledge and even the lack of information in this quite new field. . With this article I want to give you the basics how to successfully build muscles without harming animals or the environment.

Basic muscle building principles These main principles always apply if you want to build muscles no matter which diet you follow: 1. A well planned training program which stimulates muscles and strength gains 2. A calorie surplus to give your body energy to perform in the gym and build new muscle 3. Consuming enough protein - the building blocks of your body 4. Recovery – getting enough sleep and and keeping your stress levels low

Important points for a vegan diet

Calories To build muscles it is necessary to consume more calories than you use. There are exceptions (beginners for example) but a calorie surplus is mandatory to gain strength and muscles. You should aim for a calorie surplus around 300 - 500 kcal per day Plants foods are not very calorie dense – which is an advantage if you want to lose or keep your current bodyweight. When it comes to bulking - it can be challenging. Depending on your calorie needs you might find it hard to eat enough food to reach your calorie requirements. The trick here is to choose more calorie dense and low fiber foods.

An example would be to use white pasta instead of whole wheat pasta. Calorie dense foods are: All kinds of nuts and seeds, bananas, avocados, tofu, healthy plant oils, pasta etc... Macros:

Protein Recommended are 1,6 - 1,8g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight – which is roughly 15%-20% of your daily calories (1) Compared to animals foods, plant foods are more likely to have an „incomplete“ amino acid spectrum, which means that some amino acids are only present in low amounts. If you combine different sources of proteins like legumes and grains, the „missing“ amino acids compensate for each other. If you eat a vegan diet rich in different protein sources you don't have to worry too much about protein. The amino acid l-leucin seems to be very important to build muscles and should be emphasized when choosing your protein sources. (2) Good sources for leucin are: Soy beans, lentils (beans and legumes in general), peanuts, oats, sunflower seeds, spinach and some vegan protein powders.

What about soy? For most vegans, soy beans and their products play a huge role as a protein source. Some people are still afraid soy might influence their hormon levels. A major metaanalysis which showed that 2-4 servings per day of soy had no influence on the human hormone levels. This means you can easily get 30g of protein per day by soy products. (3)

Carbohydrates Carbs are essenial for athletes and the preferred energy source of the body. They deliver energy fast and can control the bloodsugar during trainings. Before and after training the glycogen storage should be filled up to provide enough fuel. Especially carb consumtion after hard workouts can improve immun function. (4) The main carbs should come from complex carb sources like whole wheat, brown rice, vegetables and fruit. Isolated sugar aren't nessecary and should be avoided for health reasons. As for carbs, you should aim for about 50-60% of your daily calorie intake

Fats With an increasing calorie intake the fat intake also increases. Fat in general should come from whole foods like nuts, seeds and avocados. Healthy plant oils are another option but shouldn't be consumed in high amounts. It important to get enough omega 3 fatty acids and limit the amount of omega 6 fatty acids to fight inflammation. Good sources for omega 3 are: walnuts, chia, hemp and flaxseeds and their oils. Vegan Omega 3 supplements (optimal) As far as fats are concerned, you should aim for 20 to max 30% of your daily calorie intake

Vitamins and Minerals A vegan diet is generally high in vitamins and minerals. When it comes to muscle building some of these fats need extra attention Vitamin B² – is known to be a critical vitamin in vegan diet. With higher calorie intake the intake of Vitamin B² can also be an increased cause of its involvement in the energy production of macronutrients. Good Sources for Vitamin B² are: Mushrooms, green vegetables, yeast, sprouts Vitamin D – is also known to be a critical „vitamin“ for vegans – especially for those living in the northern sphere – Vitamin D is involved in muscle contraction and should be tested from time to time by your doctor. Iron – Iron is one of the most important minerals for athletes because its involved in the transport of oxygen into the muscle and energy provision. Absorption of plant iron is less effective then iron from animal products. There are also limiting substances like phytic acid and fiber but also substances which improve the absorption such as vitamin c. Vegan athletes should consume around 20-30mg of iron per day Zinc Zinc is essential for the immune system and the repair of muscle cells. Vegan athletes are in the risk of zinc deficency (5) Power athletes need around 20-30mg

Conclusion Building muscle on a vegan diet is not impossible and may bring a lot of advantages with it. With the right planning and knowledge you can build muscles, stay healthy and help the animals and the environment. If you need more tips and professional advice, contact me to achieve your full potential. Sources

1. Hamm, and König (2012). Special: Nutrition recommendations for sports 2. Leucine: a nutrient ‘trigger’ for muscle anabolism, but what more? 3. Soy and Health Update: Evaluation of the Clinical and Epidemiologic Literature 4. Gleeson, M., Nieman, D. C., and Pedersen, B. K. (2004). Exercise, nutrition and immune function

5. Englert, and Siebert. Vegan Nutrition