A vegan or plant-based diet is something that many more people are considering these days than ever before. It’s not just down to the way animals are treated, but a vegan diet is better for the planet, and it’s healthy – a lot of people want to help themselves and the world they live in, so no longer eating meat or animal products is the way they want to go about it.
The issue for some who might be thinking about this route is that they are worried their fitness will suffer. Is it possible to gain muscle when you’re on a vegan diet? The answer is yes, it can be done. Read on to find out more.
Exercise
Your diet is important, but even the best diet with all the right nutrients included will never be enough to build muscle if you don’t also exercise regularly. Keeping fit and healthy is crucial to your overall well-being, and if you want to build muscle, you’ll also need to add strength training to your exercise routine.
This is not a hard thing to do, and it won’t mean you need lots of additional equipment (unless you want to build a home gym, of course). In fact, most of the time, all you’ll need are Mirafit dumbbells, and you’ll be able to do plenty of exercises that will strengthen your arms, legs, core, shoulders, and neck. Make sure you work out every day to keep the momentum up and ensure you don’t lose the gains you’re making.
Where To Get Your Protein
If there is one thing you’ll need to remember when it comes to building muscle, it’s that your diet really does make a difference, and you’ll need plenty of protein since protein is one of the most important elements of muscle-building. The problem, of course, is that when you’re on a vegan diet, protein is something you’ll generally be lacking since a lot of it comes from animal products. This is why you must work hard to ensure you’re getting enough protein daily.
Although you can get some proteins from a plant-based diet, you won’t get everything you need to successfully build muscle. However, this is where supplements and items such as protein shakes will come in very useful. These are not meal replacements but should complement your vegan diet to ensure you get all the proteins you need if you want to be stronger.
Think About Calories
When most people think about calories, they’re thinking about how to reduce their daily consumption. However, if you’re on a plant-based diet and you want to build muscle, you’ll need to consider how to boost the number of calories you’re consuming, especially if you’re also working out, as you’ll burn a lot more. Burn through too many without replacing them, and your muscles won’t grow – they might even get smaller because you’re not feeding them well enough.
If you’re not getting the recommended number of calories (around 2,500 for a man and 2,000 for a woman) each day, you’ll need to add things to your diet to make sure you do. These should not be empty calories like cookies, chips, and sugary drinks, however. You’ll need to add things like nuts and seeds, for example. Make sure you read the labels on food carefully and think about your daily calorie intake seriously if you want to gain muscle.
