The number of athletes embracing plants is certainly growing, and it’s in part thanks to the inspiration of high-profile success stories. Like “ordinary” vegetarians, the reasons vary from ethics to beliefs around health benefits. Meat eaters often moan about convenience. But, perseverance and effort pay off, like the excitement of finding a boutique clothing outlet that aligns with your style, or when you finally find a casino that accepts Boku at https://legalcasino.uk/payments/boku/.
While it’s becoming increasingly clear that many people can live healthily with a vegetarian diet, it’s still surprising that peak athletic performance can be achieved on a restrictive diet. For decades, the prevailing wisdom had painted a pretty dominant picture that peak athletic power demanded meat and its abundance in protein. This notion is rapidly changing, as more high-profile talents experiment with different diets.
Martina Navratilova: Longevity in success
Martina Navratilova is a tennis legend. She has dominated the courts with almost 50 Grand Slams to her name. This kind of trophy cabinet is rare in any sport, as having longevity in success is difficult both mentally and physically.
Navratilova introduced some vegetarian basics into her diet in the early 90s, though she had experimented a little earlier. This was part of her famously meticulous approach to fitness and nutrition, which was quite radical at the time.
While she later incorporated some fish, her core vegetarian diet during key phases of her career has been well-documented. She frequently mentions how this dietary focus contributed to sustained energy levels and quicker recovery, claiming this specifically is what keeps her competing at an elite level even in her 40s. This goes to show that elite athletes don’t need to just focus on immediate protein and diet, but have a long-term outlook.
Carl Lewis: Fueling Olympic gold with plants
Carl Lewis is a huge icon of track and field. He’s accumulated nine Olympic and eight World Championship golds in both long jump and sprints. In 1990, also around the time of Martina, Lewis made a big decision in deciding to go vegan. His motivations weren’t easy to pin down at first, but it appeared to center mostly around performance, with claims of it aiding better digestion, performance and feeling better more generally.
The impact was profound, and was arguably the catalyst for others to follow suit. Lewis famously said “my best year of track competition was the first year I ate a vegan diet”. This was in reference to his performance at the 1991 World Championships, which was a remarkable victory. He claimed his endurance and recovery improved, and directly disputed the notion that power and explosiveness come from animal protein.
Venus Williams: Generational talent
Another Tennis superstar, Venus Williams, has become a female athletic icon with seven Grand Slam singles titles and various Olympic gold medals. She dominated the number one spot in female tennis for years, but she wasn’t always plant-based.
Her career faced a big hurdle in 2011 when she was diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome. This is an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue and joint pain, the very thing that would threaten her career. To manage her condition and its brutal symptoms, Williams adopted a raw vegan diet, which is known to be anti-inflammatory. So, it was a reactive decision at first, but it helped manage her symptoms well enough to continue competing at the highest level for years after.
Williams spoke about how her energy went up and joint pain went down. Her journey is a unique tale of how a plant-based diet can help with novel health conditions, and how it can help keep athletes healthy enough to compete.
Lewis Hamilton: High standards and consistency
Lewis Hamilton is one of Formula 1’s most decorated drivers. Lewis has various World Championships and has become a well-known character of the sport. Around 2017, Hamilton transitioned to a fully plant-based diet. His motivations were pretty comprehensive, driven by ethical concerns for animal welfare and the environmental impact that meat consumption has.
But, Lewis also felt confident in its performance benefits, and was vocal about how he felt the best physically and mentally after the diet change. Many believe F1 isn’t a physical sport, but the demands are in fact incredibly tough. Lewis claims he has better energy, which is needed for driving focus, as well as better sleep and less inflammation, which is great for reaction times and endurance.
Scott Jurek: Conquering ultra-distances
So, we’ve seen athletes in sports that require explosiveness, athleticism and mental toughness, but what about just pure endurance? Scott Jurek is a legend in the world of ultramarathon running. He’s known for conquering some of the planet’s most grueling challenges, and his accolades include victories at the prestigious Western States 100, along with the Badwater Ultramarathon and the Spartathlon.
Jurek has been committed to a plant-based diet since the late 90s. His dietary choice was first prompted by health concerns because he has chronic diseases in his family, but was later reinforced by ethical and environmental considerations. His entire elite career has been fueled by nothing but plants and has since written a book about this very topic.
The green plate advantage in modern sports
These five athletes are just five of many. The number of athletes that are leaving meat behind is growing, and while no one is claiming it’s the only path to success, the fact that it’s not a barrier is huge, as it allows athletes to live according to their ethics with no concern for drops in performance.
