Are you vegan and want to build muscle? Is that possible without animal protein?
Vegan diet
People who follow a vegan diet and therefore avoid animal products are said to enjoy health benefits. A vegan diet can reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. The number one risk factor in wealthy countries—cancer—can also be positively influenced by a vegan diet. In addition, a purely plant-based diet significantly reduces your ecological footprint, as animal products are particularly resource-intensive.
If you exercise and want to build muscle, you have an increased need for certain nutrients. With a vegan diet, special care must be taken to ensure that it does not lead to a deficiency in macronutrients (proteins) and micronutrients (vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, zinc, calcium, and iodine). The daily requirement for vitamin B12 is 4 µg1. Since some professional athletes, such as tennis player Venus Williams, have recently adopted vegan diets, it must be possible to do without animal products, right?
Why are proteins important for muscle building?
Basically, proteins are the building blocks of all our cells. Protein is also the substance that makes up muscle tissue. When muscles are pushed beyond their normal performance level by a stimulus such as strength training, muscle growth is triggered.
It is important to push the muscles “to exhaustion.” Now, enough protein must be available so that new muscle mass can be built up. Some of this protein must be obtained from food. This means that athletes need more protein than non-athletes. But is the rumor true that animal proteins are better for muscle building than plant proteins?
Animal and vegan proteins
To give you an overview of the different types of protein, we need to go into a little more detail. Proteins are made up of amino acids. Some of these amino acids can be produced by the body itself. Others cannot be produced by the body and must therefore be obtained from food.
These are called essential amino acids and are particularly important for muscle building. Plant-based protein sources often contain fewer of these essential amino acids than animal proteins. However, since all essential amino acids are found in plants, the muscles can be adequately supplied by plant-based products alone. It is just important to make sure you eat a variety of plant-based foods.
Which vegan protein sources are suitable for muscle growth?
According to a very common recommendation, it makes sense to combine vegan protein sources in order to obtain a higher biological value and thus a complete amino acid profile. However, studies have shown that this is not necessary. Vegan foods such as grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds ensure that all essential amino acids are present to support muscle growth and recovery after a strenuous workout. The high availability of antioxidants and vitamins C and E in a vegan diet further support training and regeneration.
The 100% vegan and therefore lactose-free products from our Verival Sport range ( Protein Muesli & Protein Porridge ) provide you with the optimal nutrients for muscle building. They are tailored to the needs of physically active people who require a lot of strength and energy. It doesn't matter whether you are a hobby athlete or a competitive athlete. Thanks to their special composition, the sport products provide a long-lasting energy supply and a high protein content from perfectly balanced mixtures.
All ingredients in our breakfast products come exclusively from selected organic farms. We do this because it is better for the environment and, above all, healthier for us humans. No pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used in the production of organic foods. This is regulated by legal guidelines. In addition, organic means that emphasis is placed on sustainability and optimal soil conditions, as well as protecting natural resources and producing without genetic engineering.
Results of vegan muscle building
It is possible to build muscle with a vegan diet because plant-based foods contain all the essential amino acids needed for muscle growth. They are in no way inferior to animal protein sources. We recommend a protein breakfast from Verival, especially before strength training, when your muscles have a particularly high protein requirement. This ensures that your muscles are supplied with all the important amino acids before you start training.
Image: Mathilde Becerra
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- Dipl. oecotroph. Gahl A. Vitamin B12 (cobalamins). German Nutrition Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e. V.). Published 2019. Accessed July 25, 2020. https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/referenzwerte/vitamin-b12/
