Vegan Proteins – Is Muscle Building Possible with a Plant-Based Diet?

Are you vegan and want to build muscle? Is this possible without animal proteins?

Vegan diet

If you eat a vegan diet and therefore do without animal products, you should benefit from health advantages. For example, a vegan diet can reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. The number one risk factor in affluent countries – cancer – can also be positively influenced by a vegan diet. In addition, a purely plant-based diet significantly reduces the ecological footprint, as animal foods 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 of macronutrients (proteins) and micronutrients (vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, zinc, calcium, and iodine). The daily requirement for vitamin B12 is 4 µg ^​1 . Since some professional athletes, such as tennis player Venus Williams, have recently adopted vegan diets, it must still 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 constitutes muscle tissue. If the muscles are stressed beyond their normal performance level by a stimulus such as strength training, muscle growth is triggered.

It is important to strain the muscles "to the point of exhaustion." Now there must be enough protein available to build new muscle mass. Some of these proteins must be ingested through food. Thus, athletes require more protein than non-athletes. But is it true that animal proteins are better for building muscle than plant proteins?

Animal and vegan proteins

To get an overview of the different types of proteins, a little more detail is needed. Proteins consist of amino acids. Some of these amino acids can be synthesized by the body itself, while others cannot and must therefore be supplied through food.

These are called essential amino acids and are particularly important for muscle building. Plant protein sources often contain less of these essential amino acids than animal proteins. However, since all essential amino acids can be found in plants, the muscles can be adequately supplied by purely plant-based products, as long as different plant sources are consumed.

Which vegan protein sources are suitable for muscle growth?

According to a very common recommendation, it makes sense to combine vegan protein sources 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 additionally supports training and recovery.

The 100% vegan and thus lactose-free products from our Verival Sport Range (Protein Muesli & Protein Porridge) offer you the optimal nutrients for building muscle. They are precisely tailored to the needs of physically active people who need a lot of strength and energy. It does not matter whether you engage in recreational or competitive sports. Due to their special composition, the sports products offer a long-lasting energy supply and a high protein content from ideally matched mixtures.

The Sport Porridge chocolate banana contains, for example, the following high-quality plant protein sources:

In the Grain Free Sport Muesli, for example, you will find:

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.  Plant protection products and chemical fertilizers are completely avoided in the production of organic food. This is regulated by legal guidelines. In addition, organic means that value is placed on sustainability and that optimal soil conditions, as well as livelihoods, are protected and produced without genetic engineering.

Result of vegan muscle building

Building muscle with a vegan diet is possible because plant-based foods contain all the essential amino acids necessary for muscle growth. They are in no way inferior to animal protein sources. Especially before strength training, when the muscles have a particularly high need for protein, we recommend a protein breakfast from Verival. This ensures that the muscles are supplied with all the important amino acids even before training.

Image: Mathilde Becerra

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