Unpacking vegan protein powder: do you really need it?

As the popularity of plant-based diets continues to surge, many athletes and fitness enthusiasts are also embracing a vegan lifestyle.

Plant-based diets offer numerous health benefits and align with ethical and environmental concerns, so here we’ll discuss how you can meet your fitness goals and achieve an optimal protein intake.

Protein plays a central role in athletic performance and muscle development. It is vital for repairing and building muscle tissues after strenuous workouts, maintaining a strong immune system, and supporting overall recovery.

The recommended protein intake for athletes or people with a health and fitness goal vary between 1.4 – 2.2g per kilogram of bodyweight (as opposed to 1.1 – 1.4g per kilogram of bodyweight if not active.)

Vegan athletes should increase that amount by 10-20% to achieve a comparable anabolic (muscle building) effect. This helps guarantee adequate amounts of amino acids to support their muscle growth and recovery on a plant-based diet.

For all athletes and those with fitness goals, choosing the right sources of protein is essential for performance and recovery.

Good protein sources from food, which have a high protein content, include:

• tofu
• textured vegetable protein
• seitan

Then legumes can also be good sources of protein to include in your diet, such as:

• beans
• lentils
• chickpeas

Nevertheless, to ensure an adequate intake of all essential amino acids and meet individual protein needs, vegan protein powder emerges as a valuable tool, offering a convenient and effective way to meet protein requirements and attain optimal health and fitness goals.

Enter Vegan Protein Powder

Plant-based protein powder is typically made from a combination of plant sources, such as soy, peas, rice, hemp, chia, and pumpkin seeds, which complement each other to provide a complete amino acid profile.

Key Benefits of Vegan Protein Powder:

• Complete Amino Acid Profile: they combine different plant sources to provide all essential amino acids. This ensures that athletes get the necessary building blocks for muscle growth and repair.
• Convenience: it’s a quick, tasty and easy way to boost protein intake. It can be blended into smoothies, mixed with water or plant-based milk, or even incorporated into baking and cooking recipes.
• Digestibility: Some individuals may find that vegan protein powder is easier on their digestive system compared to certain whole food sources of protein like legumes which can cause gas and bloating in some people, making it an ideal option for athletes with sensitive stomachs.
• Portability: Vegan protein powder is highly portable, making it a perfect on-the-go option for busy athletes who need a quick protein fix after workouts or between meals.
• Custom Protein Intake: you can easily adjust the serving size of vegan protein powder to meet your specific protein requirements based on your training intensity, body weight, and fitness goals.

Integrating Vegan Protein Powder into Your Diet

When incorporating vegan protein powder into your diet, it is crucial to prioritise quality and choose reputable brands that use ingredients to create a complete amino acid profile.

Caitlin Arnold (Sports Nutritionist and CEO of Plant-Forged Physique) recommends that vegan protein powder is an excellent supplement to add to your diet to help you easily and conveniently meet your protein needs, but it should not entirely replace whole food sources of protein in your diet.

A good approach is to focus on including protein sources from food first and regularly in your diet. Then using a supplement – like a protein powder, protein water, protein bar, or plant based amino acids to help “fill in the gaps”, or to aid with convenience.

Key takeaways

For plant-based athletes and those on a vegan diet with health and fitness goals, vegan protein powder is a valuable ally in meeting protein requirements to help you build muscle, optimise performance and recovery. With its complete amino acid profile, convenience, and digestibility, it offers an effective solution to the vegan protein paradox.

By combining the power of vegan protein powder with a well-balanced diet rich in a variety of plant-based foods, anyone can thrive on their fitness journey, achieving peak performance and maintaining excellent health while embracing the principles of sustainability and compassion that the vegan lifestyle embodies.

About Plant Forged Physique

A new disruptor in the plant-based health & fitness industry Plant Forged Physique is helping vegans everywhere achieve their health and fitness goals.

This fully vegan retailer caters specifically to the unique nutritional needs and considerations of vegans, helping individuals achieve their plant-based fitness goals, while allowing them to stay true to their values.

One way they’re helping is taking the guesswork and label reading out of vegan nutrition.

“We know our customers spend hours reading labels or scrolling online. Here they can trust that every product offered is highest quality, evidence-backed, and free from animal-derived ingredients. We have vetted each item to align with our values and standards,” Caitlin Arnold, vegan Sports Nutritionist, Bodybuilder, Coach, and CEO of Plant Forged Physique.

They have hand picked and curated their products to ensure the highest quality, and complete amino profile, so vegan athletes and plant-based weekend warriors can rest assured they are getting the best option available.

“We want to empower individuals to achieve their goals without compromising on quality or values, and help craft a sustainable, compassionate future for the fitness industry,” added Caitlin.

“We want to prove that you can achieve your health and fitness goals without compromising your beliefs. Anything you do, you can do it vegan.”