If you do any kind of weight training or bodybuilding the first thing people tell you is eat ‘protein, protein and more protein’.
They’re not wrong – the amino acids in protein form the building blocks of muscle and help you repair, recover and come back bigger and stronger.
But for most people this means gulping down protein shakes and shovelling down as much meat as possible to build muscle.
Incredibly 2014 Mr Universe Barnabas du Plessis champion has shown that there is another way if you’re not a massive fan of meat.
Du Plessis turned vegan – which means eating no animal products at all. But he claims giving up meat and dairy has actually helped boost his performance, improve his recovery and enhance his already-impressive physique.
It comes after UFC fighter Nate Diaz explained in detail how his vegan diet helps his elite performance in combat.
But this proves that it is possible to build muscle without being heavily reliant on animal protein.
The 41-year-old has been following a strict vegan diet for the past year – and it hasn’t affected his gains.
“Since becoming a vegan, my training has been amazing. I wake up feeing good, I’ve got more energy, my recovery’s really good and I’ve got no aches and pains.
“Best of all, I’m not contributing to the suffering of animals,” Du Plessis told animal welfare charity PETA.
The Mr Universe winner still managed to pack in 300g of muscle-building proteins, despite giving up his old daily diet which consisted of 20 eggs and piles of chicken.
Now he gets his protein from sources like mixed lentils, brown rice, nuts, seeds and vegan protein.
“The world’s strongest animals are plant-eaters: gorillas, buffaloes, elephants and me,” Du Plessis said.
We wouldn’t argue with him either.
The Norwich bodybuilder, who gave up meat for the environment and also because it aggravated his hernias, previous said all these problems ‘disappeared’ when he made the dietary switch.
“I was suddenly making leaner, better gains and my alkaline balance is really good. I never feel tired.”
