This athlete maintains muscle on a plant-based diet — here’s how
Going meatless doesn’t mean losing muscle as one vegan-based diet advocate reveals
Text: Tiff H
Just a few years ago, cutting out meat from your diet was something that was reserved for Mondays. Going vegan was unheard of, especially if you were an athlete. The discourse in the fitness world was all about protein, which was instinctively associated with meat and animal protein. No-one knew about plant-protein and how to build muscle on a vegan diet.
Yet, now we’re now seeing a rise in plant-based diets and veganism in Singapore, with PETA Asia declaring Singapore the second most vegan-friendly city in the region. There’s a range of vegan inclusive eateries and plant-based menus popping up all around the nation. However, when it comes to keeping your muscles pumped, is it even possible on a vegan diet?
We spoke to Luke Tan, coach, vegucator and an award-winning strength athlete, about his plant-based journey. Here, he explains how he continues to build muscle and maintains a high performance on a vegan diet.
Your main motivation to become vegan was due to animal cruelty rather than health. If you couldn’t build muscle, would you have considered this diet?
I would not have thought twice about making the decision because when my eyes were opened to animal cruelty, I couldn’t close them again. In the beginning there were moments when I did worry that I was on the right trajectory and whether I would lose muscle mass, but I just trusted the process. I followed my heart and researched thoroughly, and I looked to inspirational athletes and vegan body builders who were already successfully thriving on a vegan diet. One of my biggest inspirations was Robert Cheeke, a vegan body builder and author of Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness.
How did you craft your vegan diet to best suit your fitness goals?
It took time for me to get to where I am today. I started off substituting gram for gram of the animal protein that I was consuming — which was about a kilo — for plant-based proteins such as tofu and legumes. However, that didn’t sit well with my digestive system. Since then, I’ve tried different plant-based diets including raw, fruitarian and vegan paleo.
Currently, I advocate and follow a whole foods plant-based diet without an over emphasis on protein. I focus on nutrient diversity, meaning that I’m eating the rainbow, with each colour representing a different specific phytonutrient which your body needs. I focus on fibre and take a holistic approach to my nutrition rather than counting macros. This includes nuts and seeds, wholegrains, legumes, and lots of fruits and vegetables, which form the bulk of my calorie intake.
I’ve come full circle in that I came from a very myopic view of nutrition to a much more holistic view where I don’t calculate calories. Instead, I eat intuitively, consuming sufficient nutrient-dense calories based on my training intensity, which allows me to recover better, build muscle and optimise my body composition while improving my overall health markers.
What are some misconceptions that athletes have about veganism?
The first is that you don’t get enough protein on a plant-based diet. You actually get more than enough if you consume whole nutrient-dense plant-based calories. You’re also getting all the good stuff including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fibre. These all help with boosting your immune system, detoxification, recovery and overall health.
Another misconception is that you can’t build muscle or perform at a higher level. As the 2018 documentary about the benefits of plant-based eating for athletes The Game Changers showed, you have UFC fighters, American footballers, Olympic cyclists, weightlifters and professional body builders who are all on a 100% plant-based diet and performing on a very high level. Some are even lengthening their athletic careers because of all the health benefits the diet offers.
How does plant protein differ from animal protein and what are the benefits?
Plant proteins are a lot cleaner than animal proteins because you’re not getting a lot of the industrial pollutants from industrially-farmed meat, such as growth hormones, nitrites, heavy metals and saturated fat. At the same time, plant proteins are much more alkaline forming, compared to animal proteins which are extremely acidic. An acidic diet contributes to diseases like cancer, heart disease and a lot of other chronic diseases. Plant proteins are also cholesterol-free and fibre-rich.
There are some vitamins that are found in animal protein that aren’t found in plant protein. How do you ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need?
You’re able to get all your vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants from a whole foods plant-based diet, so you don’t actually need anything from animal protein. The only three that I would consider supplementing would be Vitamin B-12, Vitamin D, and a plant-based Omega-3 source such as algae, chia, flaxseeds or ahiflower.
This feature offers health and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should always consult your doctor or other health care professional before radically changing your diet to determine if it is right for your needs.
