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Guide: Healthy Vegan & Athletic Weight Gain

This article will give you an ultimate guide to gain weight and muscle on a healthy vegan diet. To be a healthy vegan it is recommended to eat a “whole food plant-based diet”. This way of eating is often used to describe a fully vegan diet that doesn’t contain any heavily processed foods. So, no meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, or honey, but also less refined grains, less added sugars and no added oils.

Eating a plant-based diet improves the all round health. The diet is scientific proven to reverse many different lifestyle diseases. Athletes normally consume a high amount of animal products which puts them in high risk of bad health, especially later in life.

Training

It is hard work which makes you achieve bigger and stronger muscles. Gaining more muscles volume requires adequate training strategies in order to maximize skeletal muscle growth.

  • You will at least have to work out 3 times a week before being able to se greater results. When we take a look at sets & reps it is best to have 3 to 4 sets of 6 – 12 reps.
  • Talk with a fitness trainer to make a perfect work-out plan for you.

Energy

When we eat and drink, we put energy into our bodies. Our bodies use up that energy through everyday movement, which includes everything from breathing to running. The more physical activity we do, the more energy we use.

person about to lift the barbel
Photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash
  • Eat more calories than your body burns.
  • Pick healthy ingredients – so you get enough vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and so on.
  • Aim for 300–500 calories per day above your maintenance level for slow weight gain or 700–1,000 calories if you want to gain weight fast.
  • Make more delicious meals and taking more time to eat may help accomplish to eat more food.
  • It is recommended to eat more refined starchy carbohydrates, when you want to consume a high amount of calories. This is because that fiber makes you feel full. Eating to much fiber will make you consume less calories. We want to consume a lot of calories.
  • Eat a greater variety of foods – new kinds of foods stimulate interest, which increases food intake.
  • Drinking smoothies will make it easier to get a lot of calories down the hatch.
  • Add salt, sugar and favorite spices to the surface of your foods. If they taste better to you then you will eat more. Plus sugar adds calories (empty calories).

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the most important energy giving macro-nutrient. It is the body’s preferred fuel for daily activities and high-intensity exercise performance.

  • Carbohydrates fuels muscles and brain.
  • Carbs gives quick energi
  • If you choose starchy carbohydrates, then you also have energy for longer.
  • Carbs are important for muscle building because they’re protein sparing, which means the body looks to glycogen for energy instead of breaking down muscle tissue for energy.
  • Consuming carbs post-workout can prevent muscle loss and help repair muscles.
  • The best type of carb to consume: All fruit, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, legumes, oats, quinoa, rice, bread and pasta.
  • Eat more simple sugars in the form of fruits, dried fruits and fruit juices. This will cause a greater rise in insulin in your body. Which helps with feeding cells more nutrients.
  • High amount of carbs results in faster and more efficient storage of glycogen.
  • Many food items with high carbohydrate levels, also contain a good amount of protein.

Proteins

Protein is necessary for building all tissues in the body, including muscles. For protein we should find the right about – not over

  • Excess protein is metabolized by the liver and kidneys and excreted out of the body through the kidneys – it is not destined for the muscles.
  • For strength athletes, recommendations are for 1.2 g/Kg and for endurance athletes, 1.4 to 1.5 g/Kg. Increases above these levels do not enhance muscle mass or strength gains.
  • Hard work, not over consumption of protein, creates bigger and stronger muscles.
  • Good protein sources: tofu, nuts, seeds, green leafs, broccoli, brown rice, buckwheat, legumes, seitan and quinoa.

Fats

Fat should be a smal and healthy part of your diet. High fatty foods give you a lot of calories. One of its functions is to absorbs and stores vitamins & minerals. It also helps to increase production of growth hormone.

brown nuts
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
  • Stay away from Oil. Oil is super refined, the body has a hard time to digest it. The oil will also go quick to your bloodstream and make your blod slow.
  • It is also recommended to eat some high calorie plant-based junk food, which has some fats & protein. However, in general, these fake foods (like burgers, hot dogs, fake meats, and cheeses) should be kept to a minimum because they are not very nutritious. It as an easy way to get calories (fats and protein). Only eat 3-4 times a week because of health.
  • Fats are the most easily stored of all three kinds of calories (protein, carbohydrates and fats).
  • Get the fatty-acids from whole foods like: nuts, nut-butters, seeds & avocado.
  • When eating a whole food diet you will get healthy fats in all food items.
  • Add high-fat soy milks and tofu products. These are higher in fats than regular vegestables – these products have good amount of protein as well.

Hormones

Testosterone, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) increase strength and stimulate muscle growth.

  • Vegan men tended to have significantly higher testosterone levels than both vegetarians and meat-eaters.
  • Healthy hormone boosters: leafy greens, cocoa products like cocoa powder and cacao nibs, avocado, berries, cherries, and pomegranates.
  • Herbal plants which helps to boost testosterone: Fenugreek seed extracts, ashwagandha root and ginseng

Supplements

  • Creatine supplements: Health diet promotes healthy creatine production in the body. Creatine can create a “quick burst” energy and increased strength, which improves performance.
  • Protein supplements: These supplements are not needed following these recommendations. There is no convincing evidence that muscle growth would be improved by taking protein supplements. Excess protein is metabolized by the liver and kidneys and excreted out of the body through the kidneys – it is not destined for the muscles. Protein supplements can be used for getting enough calories.
10 Expert Tips: Switching to a Plant-based Diet
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