Time to change the game with a plant-based lifestyle
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It’s suggested that the diets of gladiators were predominantly plant based, eating mostly grains such as spelt and barley. If we take a look back in history, we can see that certain athletic groups have eaten, if not plant based, very low animal products diets.
Nigel Mitchell, a Leading Sports Nutritionist and Elite Expert Panellist, explains why athletes are taking such an interest and why plant-based eating can support high performance athletes. ”This is a relatively new area for athletes but a 2017 review paper, Vegan Diets Practical Advice for Athletes & Exercisers, by David Rogerson who as published in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that: ‘A nutritive vegan diet can be designed to achieve the dietary needs of most athletes satisfactorily.’”
Ensuring you’re knowledgeable about nutrition and dietary needs is a must if you’re transitioning to a vegan diet, especially as you could create gaps in your nutritional needs if you don’t adapt your diet accordingly. Adding a multivitamin, such as Elite’s newly vegan formulated Gold A-Z Multivitamin (120 tablets, £9.99) can help bridge those gaps.
“All too often, people will cut out animal foods without replacing with plant-based alternatives, you may need to think about some supplements to help with the transition or long-term support. On a macro-nutrient level, the main thing really is protein and omega fats, you can get these from plants and seeds, such as flax or chia for omega-3 fatty acids or try Healthspan Veg-Omega 3 (60 capsules, £24.99). For protein, Healthspan Elite Complete Vegan Protein (1kg, £24.99) is soya free and provides a range of vegetable proteins to provide a complete protein presentation, it’s also GMO free.”
As one of the UK’s leading Performance Sport Nutritionists, Nigel’s advice for athlete’s considering plant-based eating is:
The main pitfall to look for is going too long without taking nutrition, especially after hard training – this will delay recovery and can cause people to feel really hungry and binge eat so plan ahead
Food first approach always, focus on fresh, high-quality foods as these not only provide the macro-nutrients but vitamins and minerals too
Keeping the body well hydrated
Look for fortified food where necessary, soya milk is fortified with B12
Just enjoy your food and don’t over complicate things
Try to minimise processed foods, take Elite Pro20 Biotic (120 capsules, £39.99) to support your gut health
Eating a balanced diet that provides all the nutrients your body needs is key
Monitor your diet and health – the more metrics you can monitor and track to gauge the impact of your diet will help you address potential issues before they have a negative impact
Nigel Mitchell’s new book ‘The Plant-Based Cyclist’ (£14.99) is an accessible, complete and practical guide to plant-powered cycling, however it’s an unbiased guide for any athlete wanting to either cut down or cut out animal sourced products. Available on the Global Cycling Network.
Healthspan Elite has a 22 strong, suitable for vegan product range to allow you to maximise your nutrition during hard training sessions. All batch tested and Informed Sport approved for your peace of mind. Available online at www.healthspanelite.co.uk.
