Protein is nutrient that no athlete can ignore. Protein helps in muscle growth and development, enhances muscle recovery, keeps your immune system in check, helps to manage weight and helps to meet your performance goals. A vegan protein supplement that is 100% plant-based and made with high quality ingredients is perfect for vegan athletes. Just keep a check that there are no banned substances added.
Also Read: Vegan Pre-Workout Foods Perfect for Any Athlete
Vitamin B12 benefits include healthy production of red blood cells, keeping nerves healthy and supporting brain functionality. Sadly, for vegan athletes, high sources of Vitamin B12 are non-vegetarian foods. In addition, Vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia can be a common health problem that inhibits the function of red blood cells, causing problems such as extreme tiredness, muscle weakness and a lack of energy. Thus, all vegan athletes need B12 supplement to complete their diet.
Fish and shellfish are quite common sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. However, for vegetarians they can source it from some plants and nut oils. Vegans Athletes should look for plant-based omega 3 supplements that are derived from algae. Look for supplement that has ideal combination of EPA: DHA in 3:2.
In a pan-India study in 2019, it was found that 70-90% of Indians are deficient of the sunshine vitamin. Deficiency of the vitamin leads to bone weakness and muscle weakness.
Vitamin D is found in varied food sources but D3 particularly is majorly found in animal-based food sources. This makes Vitamin D3 one of the best supplements for vegan athletes.
If you feel shortness of breath, low concentration levels, low energy, and get ill more frequently, it can be due to iron deficiency. All of these affect your performance. Iron is a nutrient that plays an important role in maintaining energy levels, regulating body temperature and gastrointestinal system and keeping your immune system strong. Therefore, athletes facing iron deficiency must opt for an iron supplement.
Another important supplement for vegan athletes is zinc. It helps in protein synthesis as well as enzymatic reactions, muscle growth and development and speeds up the healing of wounds. Consuming Zinc through supplements is recommended as zinc is found in red meat, oysters, and poultry and vegetarian foods like nuts and beans. Hence, to keep their zinc levels healthy, vegan athletes should take zinc supplements.
Add these supplements to your diet and you will see visible improvement in your daily training output and even in your performance on the field. But beware while choosing supplements as those containing harmful substances can cause side effects and lead to unwanted health conditions.
Health and Fitness
Neel is an expert blogger who just loves writing about health and fitness. He makes sure that his blogs are fun to read but also informative. Neel is committed to spread awareness through his blogs... Read More
