Can you perform on a plant-based diet?

Maintaining a plant-based diet while training to lower personal bests on the track throws off most people. Most questions and concerns are deeply rooted in the beliefs and (the lack of) understanding that you (don't) need animal protein in order to stay healthy and improve fitness.

Yes, I was once one of those athletes having a strong opinion about what vegans were thinking. "Seriously, they are killing themselves without fueling their body with the proper nutrients". My transition was fostered by the need to reduce my carbon footprint. I wanted to make an impact for future generations (versus Nathalie`s driver for animal welfare). So Nathalie and I started with 1 veggie (vegetarian) day a week. That evolved to 3-4 days a week over the course of about a year. Then we decided to go "all-in" in September 2013.

18+ months down the road, I can't be more exciting about our diet and the growing awareness around the sustainability aspects. Films such as Cowspiracy (www.cowspiracy.com) and Forks over knives (www.forksoverknives.com) are on the forefront to bring this to the mainstream's attention.

Based on objective training data, I can clearly see a positive impact on my recovery from harder training sessions. That aligns to my subjective perception as well: before my plant-based diet, I would feel the Saturday's track session during my Sunday's long run. In addition, I do sleep deeper and longer, and have less digestive issues during and after training sessions. Ok, I`m not yet at my peak training volume but do reach 55 miles / 90+ kilometers per week already. With that training volume (and intensity in the track sessions), recovery becomes critical. 

Innovating companies such as Gardein (www.gardein.com), Hampton Creek (www.hamptoncreek.com), and Beyond meat (www.beyondmeat.com) want to make it easier to transition without having to give up certain aspects associated with a plant-based transition. I'm already beyond that stage that I crave for animal meat or believe it is a critical component of a performance focused diet. However, I do believe these companies can be part of a bigger movement of helping people understand and get easier access to a healthier diet.

Stay tuned for more,

Wout