Why Vegan Athletes Are the Healthiest

Posted by Faith on December 05, 2023

You’ve seen videos of the rampant abuse of animals on farms that raise them for food. You’ve learned that “cage-free,” “free-range,” and “humane” labels are super-sus because they don’t protect animals even a little. And now you’re ready to commit to eating humane food—not animals. We love that for your immune system and cardiovascular health, because a compassionate diet just so happens to be the healthiest one! A well-balanced vegan diet provides all the protein, complex carbs, and other nutrients you need to become the CEO of gains.

Athletes and vegan food are the OTP. Anyone who still thinks you need to eat animals for protein needs to take several seats right now, because foods like vegetables, tofu, beans, nuts, tempeh, peas, seeds, and lentils are max sources of protein, fiber, calcium, vitamins, nutrients, and phytochemicals. Meat, eggs, and dairy are high in saturated fat and cholesterol and contribute to cancer and heart disease—and large amounts of animal protein can actually weaken people’s bones by leaching calcium. It’s the irony for us.

Vegans are competitive in all sports. Have you ever heard of Chris Paul, Colin Kaepernick, Meagan Duhamel, or Zdeno Chara? All vegan zaddies. And get this: The American record holder for the clean and jerk, Kendrick Farris, is vegan, too. He also has the total weight record, combining a snatch and a clean and jerk of 830 pounds. And Germany’s Patrik Baboumian holds multiple world weightlifting records, including for the front hold, keg lift, log lift, and super yoke. He traveled 32 feet with a 1,200-pound yoke, the most weight ever carried by a human. Oh, and he’s vegan. Should we drop the mic here, or …?

Here’s a little list to help you commence your glow up.

• Foods high in protein: quinoa, broccoli, spinach, peanut butter, chickpeas, tempeh, lentils, and many vegan meats
• Foods high in iron: beans, sweet potatoes, tahini, almonds, raisins, kale, Brussels sprouts, chickpeas, bagels, tempeh, and tofu
• Foods high in calcium: beans, kale, soy milk, tofu, broccoli, and fortified orange juice

Eating grilled chicken and drinking raw eggs for protein puts the ew in cheugy and can increase your chances of dying early. A vegan diet boosts the immune system and improves recovery time in endurance athletes.

Gold medals and hearts of gold go hand in hand. You can save nearly 200 animals every year and help save the planet just by going vegan.