Dee Sargeant
If you’re chasing fitness goals while going plant-based, you’ve probably met the same two characters on repeat: the well-meaning friend who thinks you’ll crumble into dust without chicken, and the internet guru who promises superhuman endurance if you so much as look at a lentil. The truth—like most things involving humans, hunger and hubris—is less dramatic and far more useful.
Netflix’s The Game Changers turned veganism in sport into a dinner-table debate, with big names and bigger opinions tackling the old belief that muscle and performance require a meat-heavy diet. Meanwhile, high-profile athletes have nudged the conversation along in real life:
Venus Williams has spoken about eating a raw vegan diet for health reasons (later adding occasional animal products while staying largely veggie), Jermain Defoe is “virtually vegan”, and plenty of endurance athletes are leaning into plant-forward plans.
Add growing pressure to reduce animal-product consumption, and the question isn’t going away: can a plant-based approach actually support training—or will it leave you running on fumes?
The “Meat = Muscle” Story We Keep Telling Ourselves
It’s easy to see why meat became the shorthand for strength. It’s convenient, culturally loud, and commercially very well-funded. But history doesn’t exactly back the idea that you need a steak to earn your stripes.
“If we look back in history, we can see certain athletic groups have had, if not plant-based, then very low animal product diets,” says performance nutritionist Nigel Mitchell, author of the book The Plant-Based Cyclist (£14.99), who works with leading supplement brand Healthspan, which has an Elite Nutrition range targeting fitness fans.
“It’s suggested the diets of gladiators were predominantly plant-based, [focused] around grains such as spelt and barley. The traditional food of sumo wrestlers is based around a vegetable stew called chanko-nabe; this would contain tofu and may have some seafood as well.
“I think the main issue has been cultural and commercial,” Mitchell adds. “Culturally, we have associated meat with athletic performance, and from a commercial point of view there has been more money to be made by encouraging animal products.”
That commercial pull doesn’t just shape supermarket shelves—it shapes science, too. Mitchell argues the research landscape has leaned heavily one way for years, though he expects it to diversify as demand shifts.
Start With the Unsexy Stuff: Your Actual Diet
Before anyone starts fretting about protein powders with names that sound like spacecraft, the bigger issue is often simpler: are you eating enough, consistently, and in a way that matches your training load?
“All too often, people will just cut out animal foods without thinking about replacing with plant-based alternatives. On a macronutrient level, the main thing is protein and also omega fats. These can be supplied from plants but needs thinking about,” says Mitchell.
That’s the quiet trap many people fall into: switching labels, not building a plan. A well-built plant-based diet can be rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients—but it rewards organisation more than vibes.
“The number one point is planning: you’ll need to plan ahead in terms of shopping and food prep,” Collier advises. “Choose a varied range of foods, including a variety of fruit, vegetables, grains, pulses, nuts and seeds. This is vital to ensure a good intake of all amino acids, essential fatty acids, fibres, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.”
“Food First” Doesn’t Mean “Food Only”
Both Mitchell and Collier come back to the same anchor: build from real food, then use supplements or shakes as tools—not a lifestyle.
Mitchell’s angle is refreshingly old-fashioned: better ingredients, more cooking from scratch, fewer ultra-processed shortcuts. It’s not purity politics; it’s just that heavily processed options tend to bring more salt, sugar and sweeteners, with less nutritional value per bite.
And while protein gets the spotlight (it always does—protein has better PR than most politicians), carbs and hydration matter just as much when you’re actually training.
“Ensure [you get] enough carbohydrate for the exercise and for recovery, this is to feed the brain and muscle,” says Mitchell. “And keep the body well hydrated.”
Collier makes the same point from the fat side of the equation—because plenty of fitness eaters go “clean” and accidentally go “low-fat, low-omega, low-energy.”
“Fats are often overlooked in fitness: it’s imperative to ensure a good intake of omega-3s, omega-6s and monounsaturates daily. Omega-6s and monounsaturates are relatively easy to obtain if you’re consuming oils, nuts and seeds. However, for adequate omega-3 intake, you’ll need to include flaxseeds, chia or hemp seeds or algae foods.
“As may plant proteins aren’t complete proteins, you’ll need to combine protein sources to ensure adequate intake of all essential amino acids. For example, consume beans or lentils with rice,” he continues. “Base meals around slow-release carbs like granary bread, sweet potato, new potatoes, oats, basmati rice or wholewheat pasta.”
Supplements and Shakes: Helpful, Not Holy
This is where plant-based training gets practical. Some nutrients are harder to get consistently from food alone, especially for vegans—so pretending otherwise is more ideology than nutrition.
“Some important nutrients you’ll need to watch out for include vitamin B12, vitamin D and choline (vitamin B4). Vegans should definitely consume B12-fortified foods or have a daily supplement.
Choline is rich in some seeds and grains, like oats and flaxseed, but if you don’t consume enough of these, then again a supplement may need to be considered,” says Collier.
Mitchell, who works with Healthspan, sees supplements as useful during transitions and, for some people, long-term—particularly when training volume climbs and life gets busy. The shake question, though, is where people love a simple answer and nutrition stubbornly refuses.
“This depends on a lot of variables, such as what do we mean as recovery? For me, this is about the athlete being able to perform again when they need to, so we can consider recovery from a metabolic and physiological perspective. A shake can be a simple and convenient way of providing some protein and carbohydrates – as a rule of thumb, we tend to suggest something that is supplying about 20g of protein and about 1g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight.
“However, this can be provided by food,” he adds. “Once the shake or food is broken down to the base nutrients, they will be doing the same job in the body. For people following a plant-based diet, this could be a pint of soya milk and a large banana, or it could be plant-based protein in a shake.
The main pitfall to look for is going too long without taking nutrition after hard training. This will delay recovery and can cause people to feel really hungry and binge-eat later.”
Collier’s view is similarly measured: shakes can be useful, but only if you know what job you’re hiring them to do.
“It depends on the shake and the purpose,” says Collier. “Protein shakes, for instance, aren’t vital, but they can be extremely useful, especially in a plant-based diet.
Other shakes are designed to replenish carbs and electrolytes which, in some circumstances, can be useful. Alternatively, products like our recently launched Huel Black Edition [may be] useful as they provide a complete meal in a shake.”
Pros and Cons of Going Plant-Based for Fitness
Pros
- Can support performance when planned: adequate protein, carbs, omega fats, micronutrients.
- Often increases fibre and plant diversity (useful for gut health and overall diet quality).
- Encourages more deliberate meal prep and recovery habits (the real performance “supplement” most people skip).
Cons
- Planning is non-negotiable—especially for protein quality, omega-3 intake, and key micronutrients.
- Risk of under-eating is real if you remove calorie-dense foods without replacing them.
- Some nutrients need attention (and often supplementation), particularly B12 and vitamin D.
Who Is This Best For?
- Gym-goers and team-sport athletes who want a plant-based approach but still value structure, routine and measurable recovery.
- Endurance athletes who thrive on carb availability and consistent fuelling—provided they plan protein and omega fats intelligently.
- Busy people who need convenient options (like shakes) as a bridge, not a crutch.
Is It Worth It?
A plant-based diet can absolutely work for fitness—but only if you treat it like training: you don’t just show up and hope. You plan, you build, you adjust, and you pay attention to what your body is telling you rather than what your feed is selling you.
And if you want the final word from someone who actually spends their time in the details: “Enjoy your food,” says Mitchell, “and don’t over-complicate things.”
