The advice to give all players who are competing for top flight football is to let go of the gap and to opt for vegan supplements. The vegan diet is a must for a high-performance footballer, without loss of performance, regardless of the position he holds. “High level and vegetarianism are perfectly compatible”, says Rick Miller, a sports dietician in Weymouth, London.
As every vegan avoids meat, the vegan athlete needs a structured follow-up of his diet, in order to avoid deficiencies. Without meat, we must be careful about iron deficiencies that affect endurance. This is with no exception of the lack of vitamin B that acts on power.
After a blood test, the athlete wishing to embark on a vegetable-eating approach will especially have to compensate his protein intake. For vegetarians, yogurt, milk and especially cheese and eggs will do perfectly to replace meat.
Health benefits of vegan supplements
In the case of a stricter vegan diet, there are certainly limited solutions available to him. The plant proteins that come from soybeans or legumes like lentils are excellent for the football player, whether he is a defender or an attacker. On the other hand, it is essential to increase the portions in relation to the higher protein content. Another drawback is that digestive tolerance is more difficult.
If we can manage without consuming animal protein, we must strengthen our fitness with plant proteins and vegan supplements. ‘Plant proteins, which are less acidic than animals, are better for your health,’ says Rick Miller. They create less waste in the kidneys, lower cholesterol and especially reduce cardiovascular risks. Vegan athletes and football players have less physical problems than others, especially tendonitis. In terms of the benefit on performance, it’s not as obvious: ‘On endurance sports, plant proteins are suitable but for sports where a lot of power is needed such as weightlifting or combat sports, it is still necessary to use some vegan supplements.
Footballers who excelled consuming vegan diets
Despite all its advantages, the vegan diet does not make a perfect footballer, but can improve indidual performances. The vegan club of the Forest Green Rovers is very popular, but it’s not professional. A few suspicions have circulated about former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge without ever being confirmed.
To find famous vegetarians who play football, you have to go back to the English Stanley Matthews, the first Balon d’Or winner in history in 1956 or to the German Thomas Berthold, world champion with the Mannschaft in 1990.
Vegetarianism is found much more in individual sports. There is a much more intellectual, personal relationship to his diet than in collective sports.
Athletes who excelled consuming vegan supplements
The footballer has a festive side, he makes less the link between food and performance than a tennis player. Not surprisingly, the great vegetarians in the history of the sport are named
- Carl Lewis; nine gold medals in athletics at the Olympic Games.
- Martina Navratilova, tennis legend with eighteen Grand Slam tournaments to his credit.
- Ivan Lendl, a tennis player with eight major tournaments in his list.
If you want to make a career in football by being vegan, you must have your vegan diets in the right proportion. You should also be mindful of the vendors you purchase these supplements from. That’s why our team recommends bodybynaturesuppements for a 100% natural and chemical free vegan supplements.