A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that protein from mushrooms can be just as effective as animal protein at supporting muscle building during resistance training. This fascinating study, carried out by researchers at the University of Exeter in Great Britain, was split into two phases.
In the first phase, 16 healthy young adults completed a three-day diet where their protein was derived either omnivorous or exclusively vegan (predominantly from mycoprotein developed by the Quorn brand) sources. They took detailed measures of metabolism during this phase.
Strength and Endurance – Scientists tell us what we already know
Scientists at the University of Arizona have just confirmed through a rigorous study what many vegetarian athletes already knew. Vegetarian athletes have just as much peak muscle strength, and even more endurance than their meat-eating counterparts. This is borne out by the many athletes who are choosing to be vegetarian or vegan these days, because they find that it improves their performance.
Take football player David Carter, a defensive lineman with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and formerly with the Oakland and Dallas teams, for example. He became enthusiastic about his vegan diet after seeing the results and learning about the effect of his food choices. Eating an entirely plant-based diet, David experienced more energy and his stamina went through the roof. All his numbers in the weight room actually went up. Read more
San Diego cornerback Brandon Flowers has gone vegan. Everyone says he looks noticeably fitter than ever. He says the big difference in his ability was his decision to go with a vegan diet, which he started earlier this year. Brandon says, “I was up there in weight even though I felt like I was eating ok. Just going vegan, I fell in love with it. I lost 12 pounds, a good 12 pounds coming into training camp so I feel good, I’ve got to keep building on it.”
Flowers said he doesn’t miss eating meat. “You know it wasn’t tough at all because everything that I love, you can have something that tastes just like it. It’s what I had to figure out. You don’t just cut out the taste of having a hamburger. They have vegan hamburgers that taste like hamburgers you know, so why not go with that instead of putting the meat of an animal inside your body.” Lately, he has become an advocate for the farm animals as well.
There are other NFL stars who have gone vegan as well. For instance, David Carter, a defensive lineman with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and formerly with the Oakland and Dallas teams, has become quite the enthusiast after seeing the results and learning about the effect of his food choices. Carter says “I can honestly say that being vegan is not only the most efficient way to be full-body strong, it’s also the most humane; everyone wins.”
When he made the switch last year, everyone from his coaches to trainers to team mates said he needed needed to eat meat to build muscle. Well, they’re not saying that anymore. Eating an entirely plant-based diet, David experienced more energy and his stamina went through the roof. All his numbers in the weight room actually went up. This is a guy who can bench 470 and squat 660. Amazingly, he found himself quicker, more agile and responsive than ever. And perhaps most important to David, no animal had to die in order for him to thrive.
