How can you be a vegetarian bodybuilder?

Hi Matrix

There have only been one or two reasonably successful vegetarian bodybuilders but none of the top guys are veggies. You can get all the quality protein you need from protein powders and even most other pro bodybuilders get a very substantial amount and often the majority of their protein from protein powders.

If you are a vegetarian and don't like protein powders or are a vegan (so don't eat any animal foods at all) then you are going to struggle.

Vegans have to properly combine different sources of proteins - vegans have to combine different sources of protein because none of the non-animal sources of protein have all of the essential amino acids present in adequate amounts to allow for muscle growth.

However, even with perfect "combining", you can't achieve the same level of amino acids in the bloodstream as by using protein shakes, meat, eggs, etc. This is crucial because high levels of amino acids in the blood have been shown to be one of the strongest instigators of protein synthesis (muscle building). Also, non-animal sources of protein typically have high levels of fibres, many of which delay or interrupt the absorption of the protein.

Soy protein is pretty high-quality but an alarming number of studies and case reports seem to show that it has estrogenic effects in men - definitely the opposite of what a bodybuilder wants!

There are other pitfalls to avoiding animal protein foods but the bottom line is that you are unlikely to be able to achieve as much muscle mass without animal proteins.

So unless you're willing to eat fish, eggs, cheese, milk, etc, you are unlikely to achieve optimum levels of muscle mass.

Hi Matrix

There have only been one or two reasonably successful vegetarian bodybuilders but none of the top guys are veggies. You can get all the quality protein you need from protein powders and even most other pro bodybuilders get a very substantial amount and often the majority of their protein from protein powders.

If you are a vegetarian and don't like protein powders or are a vegan (so don't eat any animal foods at all) then you are going to struggle.

Vegans have to properly combine different sources of proteins - vegans have to combine different sources of protein because none of the non-animal sources of protein have all of the essential amino acids present in adequate amounts to allow for muscle growth.

However, even with perfect "combining", you can't achieve the same level of amino acids in the bloodstream as by using protein shakes, meat, eggs, etc. This is crucial because high levels of amino acids in the blood have been shown to be one of the strongest instigators of protein synthesis (muscle building). Also, non-animal sources of protein typically have high levels of fibres, many of which delay or interrupt the absorption of the protein.

Soy protein is pretty high-quality but an alarming number of studies and case reports seem to show that it has estrogenic effects in men - definitely the opposite of what a bodybuilder wants!

There are other pitfalls to avoiding animal protein foods but the bottom line is that you are unlikely to be able to achieve as much muscle mass without animal proteins.

So unless you're willing to eat fish, eggs, cheese, milk, etc, you are unlikely to achieve optimum levels of muscle mass.

Hi Matrix,

Check out www.natures-whey.co.uk.

The product that we sell is a vegan, vegetarian, anti-allergy & coeliac fitness protein all-in-one which contains all the aminos acids found in whey protein plus extra leucine & threonine that may be deficient in a vegan diet.

It also contains creatine, beta-alanine, ultra-fine oats, dextrose & Maca.

Ashley Lawrence