It is possible to gain lean muscle on a vegan diet, but it takes just as much dedication to training and proper nutrition as is required for an athlete on a 'traditional diet'. Vegan athletes can be lean, strong, and muscular, without having to compromise their choice of food. There are many elite level, professional vegan athletes in all sports, including power-lifters, weight lifters, martial artists, endurance athletes, and many more. There are no recent professional bodybuilders, but vegan bodybuilders do exist, and they often do well in their competitions.  

The key to gaining lean muscle is to eat clean foods, intake extra calories so that your body has enough nutrients to grow, and place demands on the body so that it is forced to get bigger. Any person, vegan or otherwise, needs to adhere to these rules in order to gain lean muscle.

Vegan eating CAN be healthy, but also consider that a diet of french fries and Diet Coca-Cola may count as vegan. Obviously, this kind of food consumption is not healthy and definitely not conducive to gaining lean muscle. Vegans, like others trying to build their bodies, should stay away from highly processed foods, since they often have questionable nutrient density. In other words, they may have a lot of calories, but little nutritional value.

Any person that expects to gain muscle should also expect to spend time in the kitchen, spend time packing their food, and spend some money on nutritional supplements. Remember to gain mass; you need to eat more than you burn. Try increasing your caloric intake by 500-700 calories per day, and don't forget to hit the gym!

Protein and Fats

It seems the main concern for anybody trying to gain lean mass is the amount of protein that is consumed. Vegan athletes need to understand that there are plenty of protein sources for them, yet they may have to work a little harder to obtain them. A protein staple for vegan athletes should be soy. Soy is the only non-animal complete protein. A complete protein has all of the necessary amino acids that the body requires.

Incomplete proteins only have some amino acids, so a variety of protein sources must be consumed in order to fulfill the body's need. Soy can be found in the form of tofu, roasted/baked soy beans, and protein powders. Many product lines also use soy as their main protein source. Soy is substituted for animal milk, yogurt, cheese, and other similar products. It’s important to note that some people are allergic to soy, or have a reaction with too much soy. These people may need to limit their intake or find alternatives.

Gain Muscle with a Vegan Diet Part II

Manny Escalante, Jr. MA, ATC, CPT has a Master's Degree in Sports Medicine,

is a Certified Athletic Trainer, and Certified Personal Trainer.

Competed in bodybuilding and a 3 time Ironman Triathlon Finisher