reach your protein goals as a plant-based athlete

5 Simple Strategies to Reach Your Protein Goals as a Plant-Based Athlete

The notion that animal protein is superior to plant-based sources is an antiquated view, yet it seems to persist in the athlete community.

While vegetarian and vegan athletes remain the exception rather than the norm, the fact is that humans can achieve peak performance on a predominantly or completely plant-based diet, provided they get the basics right when it comes to reaching protein goals.

Protein superiority questioned

Research shows that plant-based protein is as effective as a predominantly carnivorous diet and may even offer additional benefits linked to recovery and energy metabolism. 

In one study¹, researchers at the Florida International University showed that brown rice protein, which has a near-complete amino acid profile, delivered statistically similar results to whey in their ability to build and maintain muscle among MMA fighters.

These results also emerged in a study² that compared the effects of whey and rice protein on body composition among “healthy resistance-trained males”.

Following eight weeks of daily 24g doses of rice or whey protein coupled with resistance training, study participants achieved “similar changes in body composition and performance outcomes”.

Enhanced performance

Athletes may choose to follow a plant-based diet for various reasons. While environmental concerns are a major driver, others do so for religious practices, with an increasing number opting for a meat-free diet for the potential health and performance benefits.

One major performance-related benefit is the impact that animal products can have on inflammation, as these protein sources naturally contain compounds that are associated with inflammation, whether they were commercially farmed or organically reared. The way we cook meat can also increase the food’s inflammatory profile. 

Research³ shows that red meat intake is associated with higher levels of inflammatory markers like c-reactive protein (CRP), even when controlling for other dietary and lifestyle factors. The study also found that a high whole grain intake reduces CRP.

A diet that limits or helps to reduce inflammation can help boost recovery, allowing athletes to return to hard training sooner, which is the key to maximising the training-induced adaptations that improve performance.

5 tips to meet your protein needs

Whatever your reason for choosing to get some or all of your protein from plants, there are a few important tips to consider to make a successful transition and ensure you reach your protein goals. 

#1. Start gradually

Start by gradually replacing a few animal protein sources with plant-based alternatives. This could take the form of meat-free Mondays, or opting for one plant-based meal a day to start.

It’s easier than ever to do so with the abundance of meat and dairy alternatives available at food retailers. 

You can generally find plant-based alternatives such as faux-schnitzels or nuggets at supermarkets and speciality stores. These substitutes generally contain ample plant-based protein to ensure you hit your macros, while also making it easier to replace animal protein with an alternative that has a similar taste and texture. 

Add these products to your shopping list of natural whole foods sources like whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes. 

Another easy win is swapping dairy-based protein powders for a plant-based product for your shakes or use in your favourite smoothie, pancake, muffin, or protein ball recipes. 

Don’t completely change the meals you enjoy eating, or the flavours you’ve come to know and love. Rather spend time researching how to sub plant-based ingredients that have a similar taste and texture profile to their meaty counterparts. 

For example, sub the beef in spaghetti Bolognese with lentils, or make a chickpea curry instead of a chicken dish. This approach means you don’t need to completely reinvent how you eat, and the flavours will remain familiar. This combination increases the likelihood that you’ll succeed in eating more plants.

Most plant-based sources are considered incomplete proteins because they do not have all the essential amino acids your body needs. However, this doesn’t mean they are inferior. 

While certain plant proteins have gaps in their amino acid profiles, you can combine sources to create a complete profile to provide your muscles with everything they need to grow and recover. 

The trick is knowing which incomplete protein sources – known as complementary proteins – to combine to create a complete amino acid profile, ensuring you get all the everything your body needs to support muscle repair and growth.

It is critical to understand the concept of derived protein when aiming to get the bulk or all of your protein from plants.

Active individuals require 1.4 – 2.0g of protein per kilogram per day (g/kg/day)⁴. You can often achieve that target with smaller animal protein portions than with plant foods. For instance, getting 22g of derived protein requires a 100g steak or 250g of black beans. 

Then there’s the issue of digestibility. Animal-based proteins like whey, eggs, milk and beef are highly bioavailable, which means 94-99% of their protein content is digested and absorbed⁴. 

However, your body tends to absorb significantly less plant protein. For example, various types of dry beans and millet have low protein digestibility of 75–79%⁵ due to the presence of fibre and lectins, which can inhibit the absorption of some of the protein and other key nutrients.

This increases the total volume of plant-based foods we need to consume to derive sufficient protein to meet our daily requirements. That means, depending on your plant protein sources, you might need to eat more plant foods to meet your daily protein intake requirements.

A study⁶ titled Nutritional Considerations for Vegetarian Athletes highlighted the role that supplements can play in an athlete’s plant-based diet by stating that “well-planned, appropriately supplemented vegetarian diets appear to effectively support athletic performance.” 

Supplements make it easier and convenient to cover your amino acid basis by combining multiple sources together in a single product to provide a complete profile. 

For example, Biogen Plant Based Protein blends rice protein concentrate and pea protein isolate with other plant-based protein sources, including fava beans, chickpeas, hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds, to create a complete amino acid profile. 

As plants are rich in carbohydrates, products made from whole food sources, like Biogen Bulk Raw, provides 27g of protein per serving from rice and pea protein to limit muscle breakdown after training and promote overall muscle recovery, along with a combination of sweet potato, oats and rice to offer 47g of quality carbs to replenish glycogen stores and boost energy levels during training. 

 

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References:
  1. Douglas S Kalman., et al. “The Body Composition Effects of Extra Protein in Elite Mixed Martial Artists Undergoing Frequent Training Over a Six-Week Period”. EC Nutrition 13.6 (2018): 396-401.
  2. Moon, J.M., Ratliff, K.M., Blumkaitis, J.C. et al. Effects of daily 24-gram doses of rice or whey protein on resistance training adaptations in trained males. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 17, 60 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-020-00394-1.
  3. Papier K, Hartman L, Tong TYN, Key TJ, Knuppel A. Higher Meat Intake Is Associated with Higher Inflammatory Markers, Mostly Due to Adiposity: Results from UK Biobank. J Nutr. 2022 Jan 11;152(1):183-189. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxab314. PMID: 34587250; PMCID: PMC8754571.
  4. Campbell B, Kreider RB, Ziegenfuss T, La Bounty P, Roberts M, Burke D, Landis J, Lopez H, Antonio J. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Sep 26;4:8. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-4-8. PMID: 17908291; PMCID: PMC2117006.
  5. G.S. Gilani, N Lee, in Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition (Second Edition), 2003.
  6. Barr SI, Rideout CA. Nutritional considerations for vegetarian athletes. Nutrition. 2004 Jul-Aug;20(7-8):696-703. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2004.04.015. PMID: 15212753.