Photo by Jill Wellington
Plant Based News has concluded that the UK’s vegan population will increase by a staggering 327% by 2020. Whether people make the decision to forgo meat products out of concern for animal welfare, to reduce their carbon footprint, or for health reasons, there has been somewhat of a ‘vegan takeover’ and the plant-based market is growing exponentially. Many people claim there is a ‘lack’ of substance in a vegan diet. But a host of sporting personalities who rely on it for their nutrition requirements are here to prove the naysayers wrong.
David Haye
At the end of 2014, heavyweight boxer David Haye decided to cut out all animal products from his diet. There is a preconception that a boxing diet would undoubtedly contain a lot of meat to fulfil the necessary protein quota. This isn’t the case though, and for many vegans, defending their protein intake to their carnivore counterparts is a daily hurdle to overcome. While a diet of steak, chicken and eggs seems like a go-to option, Haye dropped all of the aforementioned from his meals and since doing so, he has sung the praises of a vegan lifestyle. Prior to switching to a vegan diet, Haye's career was clinging to uncertainty thanks to a slew of injuries. Now, Haye has an impressive record of 28 wins out of 32 fights. While he does have a full-time nutritionist and chef to cater to his dietary choices, it doesn’t take a lot to get creative with a vegan diet. He credits his diet for helping with injury recovery, but he’s also known to have researched the animal cruelty associated with being a omnivore.
Lewis Hamilton MBE
Lewis Hamilton’s career isn’t slowing down any time soon! The Formula One racer continues his string of successes driving for Mercedes-AMG, being regarded as one of the best drivers of his generation.
Recently, he has turned his hand to developing the vegan food market, investing in creating his very own vegan food eateries set to take the UK by storm. The first venue opened in London, and he has named his plant-based burger joint ‘Neat Burger’. In 2017, he changed his diet and left behind all animal-based products, fuelling his demanding sports career with staple foods such as avocado and porridge for healthy fats and slow release carbohydrates.
Hamilton acknowledged the impact of veganism in curbing emissions, saying ‘as the human race, what we are doing to the world... the pollution [in terms of emissions of global-warming gases] coming from the number of cows that are being produced is incredible.’
Hamilton has won 19 races since 2018. Whether this is all down to his dietary choices or not, it certainly demonstrates that a vegan diet can be feasible for athletes.
Venus Williams
With seven Grand Slam singles titles and 14 Grand Slam woman’s doubles titles secured in her career, Venus Williams is a true powerhouse amongst our sporting greats. But, did you know that she is fuelled by a vegan diet? The second highest-earning female tennis player of all time took on a fully raw vegan diet after she was diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome in 2011. This diagnosis led her to withdraw from the US Open later in the same year, as she adjusted to her symptoms which ranged from fatigue to joint pain. A vegan diet was recommended by doctors to alleviate the signs of the autoimmune condition.
She has described her experience of veganism in depth, commenting: ‘I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and I wanted to maintain my performance on the court. Once I started, I fell in love with the concept of fuelling your body in the best way possible […] not only does it help me on the court, but I feel like I'm doing the right thing for me’. She has entirely deconstructed the notion of vegan diets as being inadequate at providing enough protein.
If you are looking to boost your own vegan diet with some brilliant additions then add tofu, lentils, and chia seeds to your pantry today. Whilst you are there, don’t forget to pick up some vegan chocolate — a tasty plant-based treat is always an essential even for a world-class athlete!
Whether or not vegan sport stars outperform their omnivorous counterparts is difficult to determine because their are a lot of factors at play. But these examples have all demonstrated that you can perform to a high standard without the consumption of meat and that protein can be sourced from a variety of alternative foods!
Sources and References:
How To Convince People To Go Vegan
The Telegraph - 1
