Man, people can have REALLY polarizing views when it comes to certain subjects; civil rights, religion, politics, veganism… some topics just evoke strong opinions! Let’s start at the beginning.

A few months ago I decided to give a plant based protein powder a try. For years, I used dairy based protein powders; everything from econo-whey to casein to isolate and various blends thereof. And for years I enjoyed them as I felt shakes offered a good blend of convenience, price and results. Oftentimes, I would end up eliminating shakes in favor of whole food when getting ready for competition as I not only preferred whole food at that those times but I actually believed (and still do!) that whole, fresh, unprocessed food is superior to any powder. Of course, shakes DO have their share of benefits and when I wasn’t prepping for a contest, I enjoyed them as a way to break monotony, add convenience, spend less time in the kitchen and even save a few bucks. However, back in 2009, I found that after eliminating dairy based shakes for extended periods of time, I could no longer tolerate them. Many would point to lactose as the problem but for me, I don’t believe that is the issue. If lactose were the issue, a lactase supplement in combination with a high grade isoate would solve that problem; unfortunately, it never did. When I consume dairy in any form, I feel sick to my stomach and just plain bad. So, dairy has been out of my life for a while now and I feel much better without it. Egg white protein was a better option for me than dairy but the salty taste, high sulfur content and THROUGH THE ROOF price led to me keeping it as something I would only use here and there. Of course, soy protein powder is out there but it’s something I never seriously considered and I don’t think I ever would.

Fast forward to a few months back. After preparing for the 2015 Arnold Classic, I was sick of eating! 6 whole food meals a day, each with considerable portions and all of those meals containing animal protein, left me feeling burnt out. I really like chicken, fish, steak, eggs etc. But eating them all day every day week after week, month after month and year after year without a break can get old. Preference aside, I do believe there may be some truth to the possibility of developing intolerances from eating the same foods all the time. Beyond that, we can all recognize the benefits of variety when it comes to training; I don’t think diet is any different. I firmly believe that if we were to handle all things cyclically, we would achieve the best result. In any case, I decided to give a plant based protein a try. The one I used was comprised of pea and brown rice proteins. It was naturally flavored and sweetened which made me happy. The taste wasn’t great but it digested like a charm. After a few tries with different brands and formulas, I found one I’m pretty damn happy with; taste, texture, digestibility and price are all on point. I’ve been having one and sometimes two shakes per day ever since.

A couple weeks ago I decided to post a pic on Instagram of my blender filled with berries and alongside the blender was a bottle of Udo’s Oil, the protein powder I use, a banana and some AjiPure aminos; technically all vegan items. I’ve been wanting to share my positive vegan protein experience with others so I posted it. Jokingly, I wrote “Vegan…this is my life now. Srs.” I was surprised to see the response that followed. People were everything from shocked to happy to pissed off. Surprise was the most common sentiment expressed. I started getting texts from people I rarely talk to. People asked if I was sick, retiring or just joking around. Most of all, people wanted to know how I would sustain my bodybuilding without any meat. Of course, plenty of people realized I was joking. Rather than correct everyone and let them know that I am simply consuming vegan protein shakes in addition to animal proteins, I decided to let it go on for a bit. I was curious to hear more about how people view veganism in general but more specifically, how they feel it relates to bodybuilding. The main thing I noticed is that most people don’t feel that veganism is a viable option for a competitive bodybuilder at an advanced level. While I can’t say what’s possible for anyone else, I don’t think I would be able to uphold or advance my physique as a vegan. HOWEVER, to be fair, I can’t say that for certain as I have never tried it. But that’s besides the point.

The real reason I’m writing this is to say that I feel that the inclusion of plant based protein sources might be beneficial for several reasons. First off, most guys following a traditional bodybuilding diet (myself included) probably eat the same proteins over and over and over; we might benefit from some variety! Second, many plant based protein blends out there are considered hypoallergenic and those with sensitivities and intolerances might do much better with plant proteins than with traditional protein powders; I’ve been thrilled with the digestion of the one I’m using. Third, I don’t believe that the over-consumption of animal protein (or anything else for that matter) is good for you. Even if you believe that animal proteins are superior, it’s not a bad idea to ease off of them here and there.

Naturally, you question the effectiveness of plant proteins compared to animal proteins. Scores such as BV (biological value), NPU (Net Protein Utilization) and PDCAA (Protein Digestability Corrected Amino Acid score) are all used to gauge the viability of a protein source. When I look at the scores for whey, casein etc I see the best scores. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean much to me because I can’t use them! The digestibility of a food is undeniably important. One thing that people will point to is the relatively low leucine values in plant proteins and that is a fact. But that’s easily overcome with the addition of a scoop of leucine added to a shake. Plus, by combining plant sources such as brown rice and pea I’m inclined to believe that the PDCAA score would be boosted anyways. I also have a strong suspicion that if the vegan protein shakes I consume are placed in between meals containing animal proteins, the amino acids will end up complementing each other anyways as blood levels of amino acids are kept relatively high (bro-science?)

Theory and science aside, all I can say is that I’ve been using vegan protein powder now for the past few months and I like it and I’m going to keep using it. From a health perspective, I don’t think that the overconsumption (I consider the volume of animal protein I am accustomed to eating to be very high) is healthy. And aside from being downright boring, is there a possibility that eating the same things all the time invites the risk of allergies? I don’t know. But I do know that variety is good! Is competitive bodybuilding about health? No. However, in order to have success in any sport at an elite level over an extended period of time and not kill yourself in the process, health should be on the mind of all competitive athletes. If I weren’t a competitive bodybuilder, THEN would I become a vegan? Not likely. I would probably decrease my intake of animal proteins dramatically but I don’t think I would ever eliminate them entirely. If I wanted to have fish here and there or a piece of chicken I don’t think I could ever view that as wrong or harmful so long as the product in question was of high quality and raised and slaughtered properly. At the same time, I’m a firm believer in consuming a variety of produce on a daily basis; I seldom eat a meal without a considerable portion of produce. Once I’m done with bodybuilding maybe I would be much more likely to make vegetables, grains, legumes and or fungi THE MEAL more frequently. After all, I DO believe in variety and I think that many of us would benefit from increasing the diversity of foods in our diets. I also believe that animal products can be very good for health if they are raised properly and consumed in an appropriate quantity. At the same time, I fully respect veganism and anyone who chooses it. Rarely are things black and white and I think that’s especially true when it comes to nutrition.

Intermittent veganism. You’re welcome!

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