Building muscle the vegan way

Vegan bodybuilding is now a common trend. Several heavy weight lifters and athletes have shifted to a plant-based diet, their testimonies are mind blowing. This inspiration has driven many to adopt vegan eating. Some as a challenge and others as a genuine lifestyle change. For these also, the story is the same; incredible results.

The skinny vegans is an old fashioned mentality. It is without founding and proof. The traditional vegan diet was not designed and optimized for muscle growth. It was aimed at boosting health and reversing certain medical conditions like arthritis (this knowledge is ancient practice).  But a vegan bodybuilding diet is suited for muscle growth just as well as one filled with animal products except it is healthier and better.

The right mentality for vegan bodybuilding is that you can thrive on plants only. The diet will not just make you fit but you will thrive. It has been tried, tested, practiced and resulted in magnificent results. By magnificent, I refer to winners and runners-up for competitors and muscle mass increase for those who adapted the diet.

Let us digress a bit into the animal kingdom, animals genetically coded for huge bodies are herbivorous. The likes of hippos, gorillas, elephants and whales. Plants can fuel you to achieving such bodily growth.

Doing the hard work

Whatever tips, you read online, get from your personal trainers or other vegans, nothing can ever replace the hard work. Usually, this is weight lifting targeting specific muscle groups or other intensive training. Putting in the effort consistently is paramount to achieving your desired results.

You have to get yourself to the gym every day or according to your plan without fail. Hard work is the bridge between you and your bodybuilding dream. There is no way around investing the effort to gain more. You will only be as good as your investment.

Nutrition

This is what the issue with vegan bodybuilding is. Stressing out about vegan protein sources should not be an issue. It is important to establish this early that plant protein sources are sufficient and complete for soy, peas and chia seeds. 

You can comfortably get your 30g per serving target from plants; without strife. If you aim for more, above 150g daily intake then you might need to consider protein supplements.

Protein shakes are helpful and convenient as they have concentrated protein content and ready to go. Especially during the 30 – 60 minutes post-workout timeframe, a protein shake is sufficient and a better option than preparing a meal. Your stomach might not be able to comfortably accommodate a full meal with all your protein then.

That is a perfect time to get your Vitaminfood protein shake and gulp it down in a couple of sips. Vitaminfood protein shakes are sugar-free and coffer complete nutrition. During much freer times, a vegan meal would be a good choice to grasp the benefits of solid meals too.

You can also opt for a Vitaminfood meal replacement for one other meal, your breakfast or lunch.

Eating smaller portions more often.

Rather than the conventional three meals per day, for muscle growth, it is advisable to have more meals of lighter serving. Not snacks but meals which are served in smaller amounts. This creates space to eat more, digest and absorb more which is a desirable state.

Truth be told though, preparing so many meals every day is time-consuming, monotonous and tedious. you have the option of preparing in bulk and also using meal replacements. Vitaminfood meal replacement keeps you full and supplements the vital 27 minerals and vitamins.

Such a solution reduces your worry over nutrient deficiencies.

Nutritional density versus calorie density

Knowledge of these two will save you from fruitless efforts and regrets down the road. Calorie density got you covered now while building muscle and nutritional density keeps your entire system optimal.

Not heeding might cause nutritional deficiencies and complications like Alzheimer’s or, Mental Sclerosis later on in life. Clinical syndromes related to kidneys, liver, bones and digestion may also develop. Keep your nutrients in check and you’ll maintain your muscles into your old age.

Nutrients include vitamins and minerals too and important compounds like creatine and collagen too,

Protein versus calories

It is common to obsess too much over proteins at the expense of calories. While you will mostly be out for legumes, researching and shopping the best for maximum protein and little side effects (this by the way is pea protein), you might want to also look at the caloric density.

Do the same for grains, nuts, dried fruits and even legumes. Calories are equally important in this bodybuilding journey. Get the right fuel to burn fat, speed up recovery and build more muscle. Carbohydrates power all these activities and without them, they are impaired.

Protein should be about 10% of your food in normal diets. Sacrificing carbohydrates for protein can be expensive because, in carb-starved people, the protein rather than build muscle is converted into glucose. This protein-to-kidney conversion harms the kidney and livers and affects the skin too. It alters pH balances, causes ketogenesis and kidney stones. It can also raise the toxicity of plasma and blood.

A ketogenic diet is in this regard also harmful.

Excess protein

What an irony! We began by worrying about inadequate protein and now the discussion is about excess protein.  The protein obsession is real and very common.

Find your protein content and consume just that. The dangers of excesses of say 250g per day especially for beginners and those beyond their optimum muscle gain stages are severe. Heart diseases, osteoporosis, impaired kidney function and hormonal imbalance.

A nitrogen balance test is the best way to determine what your excess is and then stay below that. Do not indulge in unhealthy supplements and concentrates. They will ruin you so bad so fast. Vitaminfood is safe, healthy and used by many in our partner gyms, lifestyle centers and beyond. Vitaminfood is trusted by many, and so can you.

For whole meals, vary protein intake in the form of 50% from legumes, 25% from grains and 25% from nuts.

Hydration

The recommended schedule is 30 minutes before workout and 45-1 hr after your protein shake then regularly throughout the day.

Water is the biological solvent that ensures the efficiency of systems, reactions and transport of nutrients and waste. Being hydrated comes in handy during the workout sessions because you feel less thirsty. You also sweat a lot especially during the cardio sessions which are good for the heart. It is wise to replace all the lost water.

Fiber content

The bioavailability of nutrients is affected by several factors. Fiber is the main one. How well your food flows, its absorption and usability are some of the issues that fiber helps solve. Whole grains are rich in fiber and bulking on these and vegetables will be fine.

Vitaminfood also contains adequate fiber with dietary fiber well checked.

Sleep and recovery

After all that hustle and bustle at the gym and on the track. You need and deserve a rest. The sleep is after working and meant to set you up for your next session. Get enough sleep, 6-8 hrs, for your muscle tears to heal and for new blocks to be added.

Take anti-inflammatory measures and do not overstrain to avoid severe injuries.

You are all set for your vegan bodybuilding journey. Find a plan that works for you and get your Vitaminfood subscription. Vitaminfood powers a successful journey. Now brace up and get moving.