7 Vegan Athletes Who Swear By The Plant-Based Lifestyle

7 Vegan Athletes Who Swear By The Plant-Based Lifestyle

Aspiring athletes and physically active individuals might have probably heard that they need to eat meat for protein to have stronger and leaner muscles.    PSA: It’s not always true. One can get enough protein even from plant sources—and these world-class athletes can attest to that!     These champions and Olympians in the field of weightlifting, marathon-running, basketball, and surfing have proved that you don’t need meat and dairies to compete. Most of them are crediting the power of plants for their wins, successes, improved performances, and fast recovery from injuries and illnesses.    Interesting, right? If you're still having second thoughts about going vegan, then maybe these vegan athletes who swear by the plant-based lifestyle will inspire you to do the switch.    Scott Jurek   Named one of the best ultramarathon runners in the world, Scott Jurek made his way to the top by bagging 16 prestigious ultramarathon titles and keeping a personal record of 165.7 miles in a 24-hour run.    To evade the history of multiple sclerosis in their family, Jurek started embracing the vegan diet during college as a long-term solution for his wellness. He also believes that following a plant-based diet properly fuels the body to have great results.    Venus Williams Plant Based Professional Athlete Venus Williams   Winning four Olympic gold medals, the seven-time Grand Slam tennis singles champion Venus Williams took the dietary switch back in 2011 when she was diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome—an auto-immune disease that causes joint pain and swelling, numbness, digestive problems, and severe fatigue.    Powered by plants, Williams recovered from it and now shares her experience with others through her plant-based protein drink brand, Happy Viking   Patrik Baboumian   Brawny as an ox, former bodybuilder Patrik Baboumian is living proof that non-meat eaters can have the supernatural strength and ability to lift a car. He banked the title as Germany’s Strongest Man on the same year he went vegan by carrying a 555.2 kg yoke over 10 meters, beating the world record for log lifts.    Baboumian grew up having strong compassion for animals and later became one of PETA’s ambassadors for their campaigns.    DeAndre JordanDeandre Jordan switch to the vegan diet in 2018   Brooklyn Nets’ center, NBA star, and Olympic gold medalist DeAndre Jordan believes that dunking to vegan diet aced his game on the court. The professional baller went fully vegan in 2018 and is now supporting veganism by becoming an investor in a plant-based meat company Beyond Meat.    Kyrie Irving   Joining Jordan is Brooklyn Net’s point guard and NBA star Kyrie Irving.    Adopting a vegan diet, he acknowledged that plants made him a stronger player and increased his energy, which his coach agrees to. Unlike other ballers who cite documentaries, Irving said that changing his diet was a pure initiative.    Professional Athlete Alex Morgan Alex Morgan U.S. women’s soccer star and Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan admitted that discarding her favorite dairy meals was hard at first, but going plant-based helped her stay fit and lean.    Morgan went vegan believing that it’s unfair to have pets and yet consume animal meat simultaneously.   Tia Blanco Raised by a vegetarian family and having a profession close to the environment, Puerto Rican surfer Tia Blanco shared that she has never eaten meat in her life, making it easier for her to embrace a vegan diet. She won a gold medal in the 2015 and 2016 Open Women’s World Surfing Championship and credited this success to the power of plants.    To encourage others to do the switch, Blanco opened an Instagram page @tiasvegankitchen, where she posts her favorite vegan recipes. She also became one of the ambassadors of Beyond Meat.    Their life-changing experiences are only a few of the many monumental stories of why more and more people are motivated to try vegan diet to sustain their health.    Want to follow their steps? Check out our shop to help you get down to your plant-based journey!