Six years ago Gu Energy Labs and international recycling organisation TerraCycle partnered to launch a free recycling program for performance nutrition packaging. Linked to a charitable fundraising points scheme for participants, the Performance Nutrition Recycling Program (PNRP) offered the opportunity to recycle single-use packaging from any brand – not just Gu – by collecting and shipping the packaging to TerraCycle. TerraCycle upcycles the packaging and diverts it from landfill. Gu covers all the shipping costs and upcycling fees, meaning the service is free for participants. Shipments over 2 pounds (900 g) in weight qualify for TerraCycle points in the PNRP, with each pound earning the participant 100 TerraCycle points. These points can then be allocated to a range of charity gifts or redeemed as a payment of 1c per point to your choice of non-profit or school. TerraCycle then converts the plastic packaging waste into shipping pallets, bike racks, park benches, recycling bins and more. Now, on the sixth anniversary of the program’s launch, TerraCycle has announced some of the results and impact of the programme. To date, more than 1.7 million hard-to-recycle wrappers from energy gels, bars, and powder sachets have been upcycled, resulting in donations of over US$19,000 to non-profits and schools. In 2020 alone, the programme recycled 449,000 packets, enough to build 20 upcycled playgrounds. It was the single biggest year in the six-year history of the partnership. “While we love seeing the ways our products help athletes achieve more, there is nothing more deflating than seeing spent gel packets on the road or trail during a ride or run,” said Celia Santi, Senior Brand Experience Manager at Gu Energy Labs. “This is where TerraCycle comes in to help divert waste from landfills.” Gu Energy Labs is now pledging to collect and recycle all wrappers used during races at partner events. “We are thrilled that our partners are joining in our commitment to keep waste out of the landfill,” Santi said, “and we are looking forward to getting to two million pieces more quickly!” Gu Energy Labs was founded in 1993 and specialises in sports nutritional products including gels, chews, drink mixes, waffles and supplements. TerraCycle is a waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste. Operating nationally across 20 countries TerraCycle offers a range of recycling, upcycling, and zero waste options for households, industry, events, and municipalities. While TerraCycle operates in numerous countries worldwide, the PNRP is currently only available in the US. However, other brands such as High5 in the UK have partnered with TerraCycle to provide similar services and Gu is currently gathering feedback from athletes around the world to share with its distributors, with the hope of expanding into other countries soon. Similarly, Science in Sport has partnered with Enval to offer recycling solutions for its packaging. For more information or to register for the Performance Nutrition Recycling Program, visit TerraCycle.com. For more information on Gu Energy Labs visit GuEnergy.com

Sports nutrition brand GU Energy Labs and international recycling leader TerraCycle celebrate their six-year partnership with two milestones: upcycling more than 1.7 million pieces of performance nutrition packaging through their Performance Nutrition Recycling Program and a donation of $19,000 to schools and nonprofit organizations.   Despite the challenges of a global pandemic, the GU Energy Performance Nutrition Recycling Program recycled more than 449,000 nutrition packets in 2020, making it the highest collecting year in the program’s history. That is enough to build 20 up-cycled playgrounds. The cumulative plastic packaging waste sent in from collectors has been converted into raw material that is used in plastic products, such as shipping pallets, bike racks, park benches, recycling bins and more.   Additionally, with every shipment of packaging waste sent to TerraCycle through the PNRP, collectors earn points that are available for donation to a local school or nonprofit charitable organization of their choice.   “In 1993, we pioneered the Energy Gel and revolutionized the way athletes fuel by using single serve, portable packets,” said Celia Santi, Senior Brand Experience Manager at GU Energy Labs. “While we love seeing the ways our products help athletes achieve more, there is nothing more deflating than seeing spent gel packets on the road or trail during a ride or run. This is where TerraCycle comes in to help divert waste from landfills.”   With the support of event partners, GU Energy Labs is taking a significant step in 2021 towards diverting even more waste by pledging to collect and recycle all wrappers used during races.   Launched in March 2015, the GU Performance Nutrition Recycling Program asked athletes to send all single-serve sports nutrition packaging, regardless of brand, to TerraCycle to be recycled for free, as GU covers all shipping costs. This includes gel, chews, stroopwafel and drink packets. As the program matured, individuals were also given the option to drop off their empty performance nutrition packaging at a number of participating run, bike and outdoor shops throughout the United States.   “Over the past six years, the Performance Nutrition Recycling Program has offered health-conscious, eco-minded individuals a way to responsibly enjoy the endurance products they need without sacrificing convenience or sustainability,” said TerraCycle CEO and Founder, Tom Szaky.  “Reaching this recycling milestone shows how dedicated GU athletes are to making the world greener, which is a huge win for both our communities and shared environment.   The Performance Nutrition Recycling Program is ongoing and open to any interested individual, race organizer, retailer, school, office, or community organization. Those interested are encouraged to visit the program page at https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/performance-nutrition-brigade.   For more information on TerraCycle’s recycling programs, visit www.terracycle.com.   For more information about GU Energy Labs, please visit https://guenergy.com.

Berkeley, Calif. — Aug. 03, 2020 — The creators of GU Energy Labs are launching Boon, a line of nutritious Stroopwafels and Almond Butters made for daily life. These wholesome, delicious, healthful snacks nourish the body during The Time Between— for lives in motion who still want to eat purposefully around workouts and races. With USDA Certified Organic, non-GMO, vegan-friendly and gluten-free options, Boon is crafted with unique, functional ingredients that offer busy and active people a thoughtful alternative for fueling their time-in-between training and racing. Whether after spin class, between work meetings, traveling or off exploring the outdoors, Boon’s Stroopwafels and Almond Butters are organic anytime-snacks for anyone wanting to eat intentionally and nourish their body with wholesome and purposeful food. “Being athletes ourselves, we believe good food brings good fortune, not just in sport but in life. We believe the foods you eat should nourish you and not just fill you up. There should be purpose behind what you eat. Each meal we eat, every snack we enjoy is – in some way – preparing us for our next adventure,” said Brian Vaughan, Co-Founder & CEO of GU Energy Labs. “We’ve been eating this way for a long time, and Boon has been years in the making. Now we’re ready to share it with the world.” Boon’s five tasty flavors: Sweet Ginger, Cinnamon Spice, Vanilla Cardamom (Stroopwafels only), Chai Spice (Almond Butters only) and Boon’s caffeinated option, Espresso Bean (Almond Butters only). Boon Stroopwafels (MSRP: $17.50 10ct. box) are crafted with a gluten-free flour blend of five ancient grains that are key elements to a sustaining & delicious everyday diet— quinoa, chia, buckwheat, millet & amaranth. The Boon Almond Butters provide wholesome nutrition through ingredients like California almonds, cashews and are the only nut butter using special sources of fat like MCT Oil, a uniquely fast-acting fat that converts into usable energy instead of stored as body fat. Currently offered in 12oz. glass jars, the Almond Butters will soon become available in single-serve packets for easier on-the-go consumption. Boon has eco-friendliness and community built-in with its TerraCycle partnership for packaging and thoughtfully selected ingredient partners. Boon uses carefully sourced ingredients from local partners who are socially responsible and environmentally conscious, such as Equator Coffee Roasters, The Coffee Cherry Company and The Ginger People. “Boon started in our kitchens, around campfires, en route to trailheads, simply sharing good food with friends and family. What we call ‘the time between,’” said Magda Boulet, SVP of Research, Innovation, & Development for GU Energy Labs. “We believe that each meal we cook and each snack we eat is an opportunity to nourish our bodies and fuel us for the next adventure. And Boon is a way for us to share our philosophy behind meaningful eating and purposeful ingredients.” For more info, please visit: eatboon.com To follow us on Instagram, please click here: @Eat_Boon For any media inquiries, please contact: Kelsey Anderson, kelsey@sasquatchagency.com ABOUT BOON Boon Stroopwafels and Almond Butters are organic, wholesome, delicious snacks that nourish the body in daily life. The creators of GU Energy Labs designed Boon with The Time Between in mind— for lives in motion that want to eat purposefully throughout their lives, not just while exercising. As athletes themselves, GU has always understood the importance of good food in daily life and knew that good food brings good fortune. They created Boon to share what they believe eating with intention and what using functional ingredients can do for people’s lives. Boon’s unique, wholesome ingredients offer busy and active people a thoughtful alternative for fueling their time-in-between, whether you’re looking for nutrition for down-time from workouts or a healthful snack to eat on the fly. ABOUT GU ENERGY LABS GU Energy Labs strives to help athletes to reach their highest potential with products that deliver the right nutrients, in the right amounts, at the right time. Developed in collaboration with Olympians and age groupers alike, the GU nutrition matrix of Hydration, Energy and Recovery products has helped countless athletes achieve their dreams since its inception in 1993. Headquartered in Berkeley, GU Energy Labs produces all of its Energy Gels onsite with just the right blend of heart and science. Recommit to becoming your best athletic self, learn more about GU products, and discover how nutrition planning can help you get there at www.guenergy.com.

Berkeley, Calif. — Aug. 03, 2020 — The creators of GU Energy Labs are launching Boon, a line of nutritious Stroopwafels and Almond Butters made for daily life. These wholesome, delicious, healthful snacks nourish the body during The Time Between— for lives in motion who still want to eat purposefully around workouts and races. With USDA Certified Organic, non-GMO, vegan-friendly and gluten-free options, Boon is crafted with unique, functional ingredients that offer busy and active people a thoughtful alternative for fueling their time-in-between training and racing. Whether after spin class, between work meetings, traveling or off exploring the outdoors, Boon’s Stroopwafels and Almond Butters are organic anytime-snacks for anyone wanting to eat intentionally and nourish their body with wholesome and purposeful food. “Being athletes ourselves, we believe good food brings good fortune, not just in sport but in life. We believe the foods you eat should nourish you and not just fill you up. There should be purpose behind what you eat. Each meal we eat, every snack we enjoy is – in some way – preparing us for our next adventure,” said Brian Vaughan, Co-Founder & CEO of GU Energy Labs. “We’ve been eating this way for a long time, and Boon has been years in the making. Now we’re ready to share it with the world.” Boon’s five tasty flavors: Sweet Ginger, Cinnamon Spice, Vanilla Cardamom (Stroopwafels only), Chai Spice (Almond Butters only) and Boon’s caffeinated option, Espresso Bean (Almond Butters only). Boon Stroopwafels (MSRP: $17.50 10ct. box) are crafted with a gluten-free flour blend of five ancient grains that are key elements to a sustaining & delicious everyday diet— quinoa, chia, buckwheat, millet & amaranth. The Boon Almond Butters provide wholesome nutrition through ingredients like California almonds, cashews and are the only nut butter using special sources of fat like MCT Oil, a uniquely fast-acting fat that converts into usable energy instead of stored as body fat. Currently offered in 12oz. glass jars, the Almond Butters will soon become available in single-serve packets for easier on-the-go consumption. Boon has eco-friendliness and community built-in with its TerraCycle partnership for packaging and thoughtfully selected ingredient partners. Boon uses carefully sourced ingredients from local partners who are socially responsible and environmentally conscious, such as Equator Coffee Roasters, The Coffee Cherry Company and The Ginger People. “Boon started in our kitchens, around campfires, en route to trailheads, simply sharing good food with friends and family. What we call ‘the time between,’” said Magda Boulet, SVP of Research, Innovation, & Development for GU Energy Labs. “We believe that each meal we cook and each snack we eat is an opportunity to nourish our bodies and fuel us for the next adventure. And Boon is a way for us to share our philosophy behind meaningful eating and purposeful ingredients.” For more info, please visit: eatboon.com To follow us on Instagram, please click here: @Eat_Boon For any media inquiries, please contact: Kelsey Anderson, kelsey@sasquatchagency.com ABOUT BOON Boon Stroopwafels and Almond Butters are organic, wholesome, delicious snacks that nourish the body in daily life. The creators of GU Energy Labs designed Boon with The Time Between in mind— for lives in motion that want to eat purposefully throughout their lives, not just while exercising. As athletes themselves, GU has always understood the importance of good food in daily life and knew that good food brings good fortune. They created Boon to share what they believe eating with intention and what using functional ingredients can do for people’s lives. Boon’s unique, wholesome ingredients offer busy and active people a thoughtful alternative for fueling their time-in-between, whether you’re looking for nutrition for down-time from workouts or a healthful snack to eat on the fly. ABOUT GU ENERGY LABS GU Energy Labs strives to help athletes to reach their highest potential with products that deliver the right nutrients, in the right amounts, at the right time. Developed in collaboration with Olympians and age groupers alike, the GU nutrition matrix of Hydration, Energy and Recovery products has helped countless athletes achieve their dreams since its inception in 1993. Headquartered in Berkeley, GU Energy Labs produces all of its Energy Gels onsite with just the right blend of heart and science. Recommit to becoming your best athletic self, learn more about GU products, and discover how nutrition planning can help you get there at www.guenergy.com.

TRENTON, N.J., – GU Energy Labs, a leading sports nutrition brand, and recycling company TerraCycle announced today that through the Performance Nutrition Recycling Program they have successfully recycled over one million pieces of performance nutrition packaging waste.   “In 1993, we pioneered the Energy Gel and revolutionized the way athletes fuel by using single serve, portable packets. While we love seeing the ways our products help athletes achieve more, there is nothing more deflating than seeing spent gel packets on the road or trail during a ride or run,” said Celia Santi, Senior Brand Experience Manager at GU Energy Labs. “This is where TerraCycle comes in to help divert waste from landfills.   In 2020, GU Energy Labs, and all of their over 50 event partners, are taking a significant step towards diverting even more waste by pledging to collect and recycle all wrappers used during races. “We are thrilled that our partners are joining in our commitment to keep waste out of the landfill,” said Santi, “and we are looking forward to getting to two million pieces more quickly!”   Initially launched in March 2015, the Performance Nutrition Recycling Program asked athletes to send all single-serve sports nutrition packaging, regardless of brand, to TerraCycle to be recycled for free. This includes gel, chews, stroopwafel, and drink packets. As the program matured, individuals were also given the option to drop-off their empty performance nutrition packaging at a number of participating run, bike, and outdoor shops throughout the United States. Four years later, the partnership has successfully diverted over one-million pieces of packaging waste from the landfill and is still collecting. Once collected, the plastic packaging waste is converted into raw material that is used in plastic products such shipping pallets, bike racks, park benches, and recycling bins.   “For the last four years, the Performance Nutrition Recycling Program has offered the active environmentalist a way to responsibly dispose of the endurance foods they love, minus the guilt over the waste generated from the individually-wrapped nutrition packets,” said TerraCycle CEO and Founder, Tom Szaky. “By participating in this program, GU athletes have successfully diverted over one million performance nutrition packets from landfills - this is truly a win for our shared environment.”   In addition, with every shipment of packaging waste sent to TerraCycle through the Performance Nutrition Recycling Program, collectors earned points that are available for donation to a non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice.   The Performance Nutrition Recycling Program is ongoing and open to any interested individual, school, office, or community organization. Those interested are encouraged to visit the program page at https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/performance-nutrition-brigade.   For more information on TerraCycle’s recycling programs, visit www.terracycle.com.

Sharing the #NotTodayLandfill message

Colorado Springs, CO —– The American Trail Running Association (ATRA) will feature GU Energy Labs as a member of its Event Standards Program. ATRA’s Event Standards Program debuted in 2012 and now includes vendors and suppliers as partners to further assist trail race directors in meeting ATRA’s 15 criteria necessary for staging a safe and well-organized event.   As part of this partnership, ATR­A will work with GU Energy Labs to share their successful upcycling program and support the #NotTodayLandfill message with trail runners, trail race directors and fans of the sport.   “GU Energy Labs partnered with TerraCycle to create a free Performance Nutrition Brigade that we want to shout from the rooftops,” said Nancy Hobbs, ATRA’s executive director. “As a long-time supporter of GU products, seeing their commitment to the environment has made me an even bigger fan. Through a simple step-by-step TerraCycle™ program, sports nutrition wrappers will no longer end up in the landfill, an initiative we applaud.”   ATRA will share the GU TerraCycle message through monthly e-newsletters and social media, through Trail News articles, and in YouTube videos like a recent installment from Outdoor Retailer (click here to view).   “2020 marks our five-year anniversary with TerraCycle, and to date we have diverted over 1.3 million wrappers, equivalent to over 6,100lbs. This is enough to make 15 recycled playgrounds!” said Celia Santi, GU Energy Labs’ senior brand experience manager. “We are thrilled to partner with ATRA to educate race directors and runners how easy it is to take the GU TerraCycle pledge and ensure that all brands of nutrition wrappers are upcycled.”   Adam W. Chase, ATRA president, added, “GU Energy Labs, a long-time supporter of trail runners, individually, nutritionally and at our races, is walking the walk or, more accurately, running the run, by promoting clean trails and a less-polluted world in general. ATRA and GU are a natural fit and this partnership is an easy one for us to support in earnest.”   The Performance Nutrition Recycling Program is ongoing and open to any interested individual, school, office or community organization. Those interested are encouraged to visit the program page here.   For more information on TerraCycle’s recycling programs visit www.terracycle.com.   GU Energy Labs joins  Ashworth Awards, Marathon Printing, Inc., Leslie Jordan, Active at Altitude, Joe Viger Photography, Nicholas Hill Group, UltraSignup and Athletes for a Fit Planet in our Event Standards Partner Program.  

Sharing the #NotTodayLandfill message

Colorado Springs, CO —– The American Trail Running Association (ATRA) will feature GU Energy Labs as a member of its Event Standards Program. ATRA’s Event Standards Program debuted in 2012 and now includes vendors and suppliers as partners to further assist trail race directors in meeting ATRA’s 15 criteria necessary for staging a safe and well-organized event.   As part of this partnership, ATR­A will work with GU Energy Labs to share their successful upcycling program and support the #NotTodayLandfill message with trail runners, trail race directors and fans of the sport.   “GU Energy Labs partnered with TerraCycle to create a free Performance Nutrition Brigade that we want to shout from the rooftops,” said Nancy Hobbs, ATRA’s executive director. “As a long-time supporter of GU products, seeing their commitment to the environment has made me an even bigger fan. Through a simple step-by-step TerraCycle™ program, sports nutrition wrappers will no longer end up in the landfill, an initiative we applaud.”   ATRA will share the GU TerraCycle message through monthly e-newsletters and social media, through Trail News articles, and in YouTube videos like a recent installment from Outdoor Retailer (click here to view).   “2020 marks our five-year anniversary with TerraCycle, and to date we have diverted over 1.3 million wrappers, equivalent to over 6,100lbs. This is enough to make 15 recycled playgrounds!” said Celia Santi, GU Energy Labs’ senior brand experience manager. “We are thrilled to partner with ATRA to educate race directors and runners how easy it is to take the GU TerraCycle pledge and ensure that all brands of nutrition wrappers are upcycled.”   Adam W. Chase, ATRA president, added, “GU Energy Labs, a long-time supporter of trail runners, individually, nutritionally and at our races, is walking the walk or, more accurately, running the run, by promoting clean trails and a less-polluted world in general. ATRA and GU are a natural fit and this partnership is an easy one for us to support in earnest.”   The Performance Nutrition Recycling Program is ongoing and open to any interested individual, school, office or community organization. Those interested are encouraged to visit the program page here.   For more information on TerraCycle’s recycling programs visit www.terracycle.com.   GU Energy Labs joins  Ashworth Awards, Marathon Printing, Inc., Leslie Jordan, Active at Altitude, Joe Viger Photography, Nicholas Hill Group, UltraSignup and Athletes for a Fit Planet in our Event Standards Partner Program.  

If there is a man who appears to be the archetype of testosterone-fueled strength, it is California’s former governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger. What do real men, men like Conan the Barbarian, the Last Action Hero and the Kindergarden Cop eat? Steak, of course. Giant heaping piles of it. Indeed steak is so synonymous with strength that “strength” is the title of this slightly weird marketing booklet from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.   Endurance athletes too are often urged to draw strength from meat. I have been paid to exercise at various points in my life and cannot count the times I have been served a giant bleeding hunk of cow the night before I set off into the depths of aerobic exhaustion. This practice, it seems, has historical precedent. According to one peer-reviewed article by respected sports science guru Asker Jeukendrup, and of course the film A Sunday in Hell, steak and chicken wings were the fuel of Eddy Merckx, perhaps the greatest cyclist ever to have turned a pedal.   But the times, and the breakfasts of champions, are changing. If you had access to the internet or the supermarket in the past few months, you are probably aware of The Game Changers, which features, among other luminaries, the seven-time Mr. Olympia himself. The film follows UFC fighter James Wilks as he attempts to recover from injury using a plant-based diet — and portrays ditching animal products as not only healthy, but also a significant boost to the performance of elite athletes.   Since the film’s release, it has come under pretty severe criticism from both sports nutritionists (including Jeukendrup himself) and other vegan advocates for its clear bias, use of logical fallacies and cherry-picking of evidence. Additionally, the film’s executive producer, James Cameron (who also, incidentally, directed Arnie’s Terminator), owns a plant-based protein company: Verident Foods.   But just because the film stretched the truth doesn’t mean there wasn’t truth in it. It has started a conversation on plant-based diets that, in the face of an epidemic of obesity, increasingly severe climate change and a growing global population, we really need to be having.      

Kernels of Truth

  We asked Registered Dietitian and athlete Matt Ruscigno, MPH, author of Plant Based Sports Nutrition, for his take on the film and on how a vegan diet can help athletes. Ruscigno is quick to point out that, although scientific rigor is important, especially to someone in his field, “it’s seeing experiences that help people change.” He adds that people are generally unaware that it is possible to be a top-level athlete and be vegan, so in this regard the film is doing a valuable job in raising awareness.   Ruscigno doesn’t necessarily say going vegan will transform your performance, but he does point to evidence that including more whole plant foods in your diet, as opposed to supplementing with vitamins, just might. One claim made in Game Changers (and all over the internet) is that plant-based diets reduce inflammation. The problem here is one of precision. Some inflammation is good; it is what lets the body know that it needs to build new muscle because the old stuff has been damaged. So loading up on Advil and Vitamin C supplements (which contain inflammation-fighting antioxidants) won’t make you faster, but eating a healthy plant-based diet might help moderate that inflammation and boost recovery.   “Inflammation is a real thing, and there is cellular damage from physical activity, and nutrition does play a role,” says Ruscigno. “There is some evidence that the antioxidants [from plants] do play a role in speeding recovery and reducing inflammation. How much of a difference? That’s not an answer I’ve seen.” Anecdotally, athletes from top US Olympic weightlifter Kendrick Farris to tennis legend Venus Williams credit their vegan diets with bouncing back faster.   A study published  in the Journal of the American Heart Association did show that a vegan diet reduced inflammation in people with heart disease more than the AHA’s recommended diet, but this doesn’t have a direct analog in terms of performance as an athlete. However, given that athletes are at a higher risk of cardiovascular issues, it might be a good idea to get out ahead of them with a diet that is likely to reduce that risk. It is certainly clear that eating a plant-based diet won’t harm your recovery, and it seems like eating lots of plants might help. It will certainly reduce your risk of dropping dead, even when compared to a healthy omnivorous diet.   The knee jerk objection to vegan diets is, of course, that you won’t get enough protein to replace all that steak that you could be eating. This idea is based in the myth that plant foods don’t contain enough of the amino acids that combine to form proteins; plant proteins are often called “incomplete proteins” for this reason.   Ruscigno says this belief is largely unfounded: “All whole plant foods have all of the essential amino acids! Every one of them. It’s a misnomer they are missing. This is because not every serving contains the exact minimum need for every amino acid. But that’s okay because we eat, or should be eating, a variety of foods and it adds up in the end.” So essentially, as long as you eat a varied diet you will get enough of all the essential amino acids to build muscle. The answer to the age old “where do you get your protein?” question is… from food.  

Changing for the Better

  There’s also a stigma around soy that is largely unfounded. There were some small studies 30 years ago that suggested it would somehow make you less manly, but those results haven’t been repeated. If you’re worried about phytoestrogens in soy making you grow man boobs, consider that there are actual estrogens in dairy milk and those, as well as the phytoestrogens in soy, are not going to be a problem unless you hook yourself up to some kind of dairy IV.   For elite athletes, it seems pretty clear that it is possible to be vegan and not see any compromises in performance. Venus Williams, Lionel Messi, Colin Kaepernick, legendary strongman Patrick Baboumian, and 11 members of the Tennessee Titans are vegan and doing just fine. Of course, these athletes do take great care over their diets, but everyday athletes could also benefit from a plant-based diet.   I started eating vegan about a year ago, and simply removing gas station candy bars and giant coffee shop muffins on long bike rides and grabbing something like a banana, or a pack of Swedish fish, has helped me get a little leaner. I also don’t tend to get that post-stop slump when I eat easier-digesting carbs and don’t load up on fat. Yeah, there are vegan muffins, and non-vegans could eat bananas, but taking the bad choices away and making it easier to eat plants reduces some of the decision fatigue that comes with healthy eating.   The case for going plant-based extends beyond the performance aspect, too. A pretty solid scientific consensus indicates that plant-based eating reduces your carbon footprint, and if you like to play outside, that should be important to you. It’s also true, as Ruscigno points out, that many of us turn to plant-based foods before and during exercise anyway because they digest easily. Bananas, peanut butter, oatmeal and bagels are staples of just about any pre-marathon breakfast buffet, and they’re all vegan. The other stuff we eat after competing because we know it might not sit so well… which might lead one to question if we need to eat it at all.   Of course, switching from an omnivorous diet to a vegan one is not easy, and you could get many of the benefits of a vegan diet from simply eating more plants and less meat. For me, the only really winning argument for a vegan diet was driving past cattle farms in the desert. I grew up farming sheep and spent a lot of time helping other people farm cattle. I don’t like seeing animals suffer and I don’t want to have any part in that. For me, the most compelling argument will always be the moral one.   Switching to a plant-based diet, in my n=1 experience, has helped me as an athlete. Most plant-based foods do contain carbohydrates, and carbohydrates play a crucial role in fueling exercise. It’s easy for athletes in endurance sports to under-consume carbs in the post-Atkins era. Now that I have switched chicken for chickpeas, I am getting more slow-digesting healthy carbs at every meal. As for protein, it really isn’t that hard to get. I eat quite a lot of food thanks to my endurance sport habit, and most of that food has protein. I haven’t noticed myself sucking, or shrinking.   If you’re looking to replace candy bars and protein shakes, there are healthy vegan options. But as Ruscigno points out, the best vegan snacks and protein products are the ones you already know about. Nuts and seeds last forever, taste great, don’t come with weird ingredients and boast a balanced nutrition profile. Like it or not, you might actually be pretty close to a plant-based diet already.  

If there is a man who appears to be the archetype of testosterone-fueled strength, it is California’s former governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger. What do real men, men like Conan the Barbarian, the Last Action Hero and the Kindergarden Cop eat? Steak, of course. Giant heaping piles of it. Indeed steak is so synonymous with strength that “strength” is the title of this slightly weird marketing booklet from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.   Endurance athletes too are often urged to draw strength from meat. I have been paid to exercise at various points in my life and cannot count the times I have been served a giant bleeding hunk of cow the night before I set off into the depths of aerobic exhaustion. This practice, it seems, has historical precedent. According to one peer-reviewed article by respected sports science guru Asker Jeukendrup, and of course the film A Sunday in Hell, steak and chicken wings were the fuel of Eddy Merckx, perhaps the greatest cyclist ever to have turned a pedal.   But the times, and the breakfasts of champions, are changing. If you had access to the internet or the supermarket in the past few months, you are probably aware of The Game Changers, which features, among other luminaries, the seven-time Mr. Olympia himself. The film follows UFC fighter James Wilks as he attempts to recover from injury using a plant-based diet — and portrays ditching animal products as not only healthy, but also a significant boost to the performance of elite athletes.   Since the film’s release, it has come under pretty severe criticism from both sports nutritionists (including Jeukendrup himself) and other vegan advocates for its clear bias, use of logical fallacies and cherry-picking of evidence. Additionally, the film’s executive producer, James Cameron (who also, incidentally, directed Arnie’s Terminator), owns a plant-based protein company: Verident Foods.   But just because the film stretched the truth doesn’t mean there wasn’t truth in it. It has started a conversation on plant-based diets that, in the face of an epidemic of obesity, increasingly severe climate change and a growing global population, we really need to be having.    

Kernels of Truth

  We asked Registered Dietitian and athlete Matt Ruscigno, MPH, author of Plant Based Sports Nutrition, for his take on the film and on how a vegan diet can help athletes. Ruscigno is quick to point out that, although scientific rigor is important, especially to someone in his field, “it’s seeing experiences that help people change.” He adds that people are generally unaware that it is possible to be a top-level athlete and be vegan, so in this regard the film is doing a valuable job in raising awareness.   Ruscigno doesn’t necessarily say going vegan will transform your performance, but he does point to evidence that including more whole plant foods in your diet, as opposed to supplementing with vitamins, just might. One claim made in Game Changers (and all over the internet) is that plant-based diets reduce inflammation. The problem here is one of precision. Some inflammation is good; it is what lets the body know that it needs to build new muscle because the old stuff has been damaged. So loading up on Advil and Vitamin C supplements (which contain inflammation-fighting antioxidants) won’t make you faster, but eating a healthy plant-based diet might help moderate that inflammation and boost recovery.   “Inflammation is a real thing, and there is cellular damage from physical activity, and nutrition does play a role,” says Ruscigno. “There is some evidence that the antioxidants [from plants] do play a role in speeding recovery and reducing inflammation. How much of a difference? That’s not an answer I’ve seen.” Anecdotally, athletes from top US Olympic weightlifter Kendrick Farris to tennis legend Venus Williams credit their vegan diets with bouncing back faster.   A study published  in the Journal of the American Heart Association did show that a vegan diet reduced inflammation in people with heart disease more than the AHA’s recommended diet, but this doesn’t have a direct analog in terms of performance as an athlete. However, given that athletes are at a higher risk of cardiovascular issues, it might be a good idea to get out ahead of them with a diet that is likely to reduce that risk. It is certainly clear that eating a plant-based diet won’t harm your recovery, and it seems like eating lots of plants might help. It will certainly reduce your risk of dropping dead, even when compared to a healthy omnivorous diet.   The knee jerk objection to vegan diets is, of course, that you won’t get enough protein to replace all that steak that you could be eating. This idea is based in the myth that plant foods don’t contain enough of the amino acids that combine to form proteins; plant proteins are often called “incomplete proteins” for this reason.   Ruscigno says this belief is largely unfounded: “All whole plant foods have all of the essential amino acids! Every one of them. It’s a misnomer they are missing. This is because not every serving contains the exact minimum need for every amino acid. But that’s okay because we eat, or should be eating, a variety of foods and it adds up in the end.” So essentially, as long as you eat a varied diet you will get enough of all the essential amino acids to build muscle. The answer to the age old “where do you get your protein?” question is… from food.      

Changing for the Better

  There’s also a stigma around soy that is largely unfounded. There were some small studies 30 years ago that suggested it would somehow make you less manly, but those results haven’t been repeated. If you’re worried about phytoestrogens in soy making you grow man boobs, consider that there are actual estrogens in dairy milk and those, as well as the phytoestrogens in soy, are not going to be a problem unless you hook yourself up to some kind of dairy IV.   For elite athletes, it seems pretty clear that it is possible to be vegan and not see any compromises in performance. Venus Williams, Lionel Messi, Colin Kaepernick, legendary strongman Patrick Baboumian, and 11 members of the Tennessee Titans are vegan and doing just fine. Of course, these athletes do take great care over their diets, but everyday athletes could also benefit from a plant-based diet.   I started eating vegan about a year ago, and simply removing gas station candy bars and giant coffee shop muffins on long bike rides and grabbing something like a banana, or a pack of Swedish fish, has helped me get a little leaner. I also don’t tend to get that post-stop slump when I eat easier-digesting carbs and don’t load up on fat. Yeah, there are vegan muffins, and non-vegans could eat bananas, but taking the bad choices away and making it easier to eat plants reduces some of the decision fatigue that comes with healthy eating.   The case for going plant-based extends beyond the performance aspect, too. A pretty solid scientific consensus indicates that plant-based eating reduces your carbon footprint, and if you like to play outside, that should be important to you. It’s also true, as Ruscigno points out, that many of us turn to plant-based foods before and during exercise anyway because they digest easily. Bananas, peanut butter, oatmeal and bagels are staples of just about any pre-marathon breakfast buffet, and they’re all vegan. The other stuff we eat after competing because we know it might not sit so well… which might lead one to question if we need to eat it at all.   Of course, switching from an omnivorous diet to a vegan one is not easy, and you could get many of the benefits of a vegan diet from simply eating more plants and less meat. For me, the only really winning argument for a vegan diet was driving past cattle farms in the desert. I grew up farming sheep and spent a lot of time helping other people farm cattle. I don’t like seeing animals suffer and I don’t want to have any part in that. For me, the most compelling argument will always be the moral one.   Switching to a plant-based diet, in my n=1 experience, has helped me as an athlete. Most plant-based foods do contain carbohydrates, and carbohydrates play a crucial role in fueling exercise. It’s easy for athletes in endurance sports to under-consume carbs in the post-Atkins era. Now that I have switched chicken for chickpeas, I am getting more slow-digesting healthy carbs at every meal. As for protein, it really isn’t that hard to get. I eat quite a lot of food thanks to my endurance sport habit, and most of that food has protein. I haven’t noticed myself sucking, or shrinking.   If you’re looking to replace candy bars and protein shakes, there are healthy vegan options. But as Ruscigno points out, the best vegan snacks and protein products are the ones you already know about. Nuts and seeds last forever, taste great, don’t come with weird ingredients and boast a balanced nutrition profile. Like it or not, you might actually be pretty close to a plant-based diet already.    

4 Vegan Snacks We Love