Build Muscles as a Vegan or Vegetarian
Many vegan and vegetarian athletes manage to compete and do well without relying on animal products for protein. The meat and dairy industries have done a very good job of marketing their products; convincing most of the country that there’s no way to get the protein, calcium, and nutrition we need without their help. Can’t really blame them though, since it is their job to sell their product and be convincing, but they may have done too good of a job.
Most of us get way more protein than we need. Many experts believe that the average sedentary American is getting around 50% more than they can possibly use. That’s extra calories and, if it comes from meat and dairy, extra saturated fat and cholesterol too. If you are consuming more calories than your body can use, it stores much of the excess as fat. Too much protein also puts a strain on the liver and kidneys as the body tries to deal with what isn’t being incorporated into enzymes, muscles, cellular membranes, and connective tissue by storing it or dumping it. Those not working out regularly should be eating only a fraction of the protein they get and could use less refined sugar, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories in general too.
Part of the problem is we all eat like we’re major athletes, even when we spend most of our time chained to a desk and sitting at a computer for most of the day. Our bodies are still running on the instincts that served them well for thousands of years when humanity had to actively work for food. We spent our days in fields, hunting, fishing, dragging heavy loads, carrying large jugs of water, pulling carts, pushing stones, lifting, crouching, bending, and moving more in one day than many of us manage in a week now.
Our bodies are hardwired to desire food often, beg for the richest, densest foods, and store the excess because these yearnings kept us from going extinct. The modern world has changed the way we should treat food and ourselves. Either we need to actually seek out the exercise that served to balance our eating or we need to eat less. These are our choices if we want to counteract the deadly combination of more accessible food, sedentary living, and the body’s natural tendencies to store or dump what it doesn’t need.
If you want to build muscle, then you get to continue eating well. Athletes require more protein than non-athletes. They also need more calories as an active body burns through fuel more effectively and more rapidly. This may surprise many, but getting the protein and calories you need are both possible on a vegan or vegetarian diet. All plant food contains protein in some amount, from sweet fruit to leafy green, and as stated earlier most of us get too much.
The average American only needs between .5 and .8 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day. That amount is easily supplied with protein-rich plants. Beans, legumes, lentils, nuts, nut butters, seeds, and grain all contain fairly large amounts of protein. There are also vegan protein powder supplements available that come from brown rice, pea, hemp, and other amino acid rich plant sources. Most plants aren’t considered “complete” proteins as they may be lacking in one or two essential amino acids, but this is easily counteracted by eating a variety of food. The old idea that vegans need to carefully pair protein sources with each meal to supply their protein needs has been debunked. The body doesn’t store amino acids long term, but it takes time to digest and absorb protein. Amino acids remain in the body for days and the correct combinations do not have to occur during the same meal or even the same day as long as you are getting all the essential amino acids throughout a 3 to 4 day period.
Athletes should get between .7 and 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day, depending on what types of exercise they do and how active they are. This is still easily possible on a vegan diet. They also need more calories. Many athletes choose to eat several small meals and snacks throughout the day to supply them with the energy demands of a more active diet.
A more casual athlete may just need to add a few snacks throughout the day. A handful of nuts, hummus on crackers, almond butter on toast, or a good protein smoothie with chia seeds or coconut oil after a workout is a good way to speed recovery and get protein to the torn muscle fibers quickly.
Protein isn’t the magic bullet or the only thing you need to build muscle. If it were, building muscle would be much easier and practically everyone would be muscular and fit. That isn’t the case. The body needs complex carbohydrates to fuel workouts, boost stamina, and supply the power source behind building and repairing muscle tissue. It also needs good fats to supply energy, control inflammation, and also aid in cellular repair. Then the body needs the right conditions to tear muscle before it can be built back up.
It’s hard to tell you what to do in the form of exercise as a vegan or vegetarian to build muscle. It all depends on what you want to accomplish and the type of muscle you wish to build. To build bulkier muscle, you want to do more strength training, lift heavy weights with low repetitions in short, intense sessions. You want to rotate through different muscle groups, focusing on one once a week. For leaner muscle, you’ll want to do more cardio and lift lighter weights with more repetitions for longer, but still intense, sessions. Work out consistently, several times a week, but give each muscle group time to heal.
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Great post & I’m glad you included the kidneys. I’m a donor and very careful about the amount of animal protein I consume. Did you know that during the whole Atkin’s craze, many people developed kidney problems? Couldn’t handle so much protein.
Kudos and GREAT pic!
Amy
Amy, thank you for liking the pic and sharing your experience. Too much protein, especially animal protein, can definitely be hard on the kidneys.
Any advice for a construction worker? My day consists of shoveling/carrying/wrestling/shouting at concrete for 8+ hours a day, which burns God knows how many calories. I’m not vegan but fully recognize that a lot of protein supplements are total crap, so I’m looking for alternative sources.
xBPX, sounds like you could use one of our protein powders and our barley powder. Together they would provide plenty of energy, stamina, and protein to fuel your day without slowing you down like the animal-based ones can. Check out Warrior Blend and Activated Barley.
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