Vega diets are also popular with other past and present athletes including David Haye, Tim Bradley and Nate Diaz.

This article will summarise the latest literature on a vegan diet for gaining muscle mass. We have previously wrote an article on vegan diets for boxing which can be found here:

What is a vegan diet?

A vegan diet consists of plant-based foods which avoid the consumption of meat, fish, dairy and eggs. Many people who consume vegan diets make choices centred around taking better care of the earth’s resources and ethical issues about animal care. A plant-based diet also has health advantages over that of an omnivore diet including the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers (Appleby 2016).

Many boxers are now incorporating a vegan diet, such as Canelo. This article will summarise the latest literature on vegan diets and how methodical planning can ensure vegans gain mass despite several challenges.

If you are reading this article because you’re thinking of incorporating a vegan diet over an omnivore diet solely based on gaining mass, we can make an informed decision for you.

There is no evidence that a vegan diet improves performance or increases strength and muscle mass more than an omnivore diet (Shaw et al. 2021).

In fact, it is much more difficult to do both. Lim et al. (2021) performed a meta-analysis on animal protein versus plant protein in supporting lean mass and strength. This study found that the protein source did not significantly affect changes in absolute lean mass or muscle strength. But, there was a favouring effect of animal protein on the percentage of lean mass gain especially in young adults (<50 years old).

Based on the lack of evidence supporting a vegan diet over an omnivore diet, we currently recommend athletes consume a varied omnivore diet rich in fruits and vegetables, wholegrain carbohydrates, dairy products, lean animal protein and plant-based proteins. This is because it will make it easier and more efficient to consume the correct amount of macro and micronutrients needed to increase muscle mass.

However, if you are a vegan who follows this lifestyle because of sustainability and animal welfare then this article can help you increase muscle mass along with a resistance training program.

What are the nutritional advantages of a vegan diet?

Vegan diets are usually higher in

Dietary nitrates:

Foods such as spinach, rocket, ruby chard, pak choi and beetroot which are all part of a vegan diet are high in dietary nitrates. Dietary nitrates can reduce the oxygen cost of exercise via enhancing the nitric oxide pathway (Van der Voort et al. 2014). Some studies have shown that dietary nitrates may enhance muscular endurance performance (Jones et al. 2014) whilst some have found no effects on muscular endurance and strength performance (Alvares et al. 2021).

Fibre:

Essential complex group of carbohydrates that cannot be digested by the small intestine. They can enhance the diversity of the gut microbiome as well as increase satiety and decrease energy intake. This can be beneficial for athletes needing to lose weight. But, make it harder for those who need to increase muscle mass due to the high satiety effects reducing energy consumption needed for growth and muscle repair (Soliman 2019).

Polyphenols:

A diet rich in polyphenols from fruit and vegetables may help reduce the amount of oxidative stress as well as enhance endurance performance by enhancing blood flow and the delivery of oxygen to working muscles (Bowtell and Kelly 2019). No studies have shown or suggested a benefit of polyphenols on resistance training and strength performance.

What are the nutritional disadvantages of a vegan diet?

Vegan diets are typically low in the following…

Omega 3:

Eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA AND DHA): Can improve cognitive function such as memory and attention, reduce symptoms of concussion following traumatic brain injury as well as potentially increase the muscle protein synthesis response and muscle recovery (Philpott et al. 2019).

Vitamin d3: 

Imperative for bone health, immune function, and inflammatory modulation. It is involved in muscular function and acts as an anabolic hormone (Antoniak and Greig 2017).

Zinc:

 Improves the function of the immune system and wound healing. As well as regulating ion channels at the neuromuscular junction. Insufficient zinc intake below RDA of 11mg for males and 8mg for females can decrease strength and endurance performance