http://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/2104876/high-performance-athletes-shy-away-veganism-fear-low-protein
High performance athletes shy away from veganism for fear of low protein, but experts say it improves their recovery time
A plant based diet is helping runners and models bounce back from hard training sessions despite not getting their protein from meat
Chrissy Denton, senior nutritionist Nutrition Nation, said: “Many athletes have shown improvements in energy levels, recovery time and overall sports performance. However, it can be a slow transition therefore sports performance may be affected in the first few months.”
Athletes typically need between 1.2 grams to 2g per kilogramme of body weight, depending on training.
Ching Lam, from healthy meal company Eatology, said it is possible to get it from plants, but vegans must make an effort to vary their diet.
“Plant proteins are harder to digest,” Lam said. “So the quality of protein in a vegan diet matters as much as the amount. Emphasis should be placed on eating from a variety of sources because more plant protein are incomplete, for example, some do not contain all the essential amino acids.”
Denton agreed with Lam: “This does require choosing protein sources and complementary mixtures of high quality plant proteins.”
