WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN VEGAN BODYBUILDING SUPPLEMENTS AND PROTEIN POWDERS

 

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Bodybuilding supplements are a multi-billion-dollar industry that’s growing every year.

 

Because of the growth and explosion of choices, making sense of all this is increasingly more difficult.

 

Highly-effective advertising has hypnotized us to believe that we need supplements. Whether you’re a competitive athlete or bodybuilder, casual fitness enthusiast or gym rat, we have been conditioned to take powders and pills to get ahead.

 

Most plant-based diets can benefit from the right kind of supplementation (healthy skepticism aside), and some vegan bodybuilding supplements do have merit.

 

In this article, we discuss what to look for in vegan bodybuilding supplements and protein powders so you can make better choice

 

What Performance and Bodybuilding Supplements Can Do for You?

 

Whether you’re plant-based or not, every athlete and bodybuilder needs the correct balance and blend of macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats).

 

If you eat enough calories and the correct ratio of macros, train hard, and get enough sleep, you will build muscle as a vegetarian or vegan.

 

In addition to these nutrients, which you can obtain from food alone, there are some performance and bodybuilding supplements that may give you an edge in the gym or on the field.

 

Vegan BCAA supplements (branched chain amino acids), the primary force behind muscle repair and building, can also help reduce muscle soreness after intense training sessions.

 

This means vegan BCAAs can help you build muscle with less downtime between workouts.

 

One of the other popular bodybuilding supplements on the market an amino acid called creatine*.

 

*Creatine monohydrate is one of the only supplements that consistently demonstrate some effectiveness in performance.

 

And it happens that the only food source of creatine happens to be meat, so vegans and vegetarians tend to have lower muscle creatine stores than their meat-eating counterparts.

 

By supplementing your plant-based diet with creatine, you can enhance your ability to build lean muscle and strength.

 

Vegan Bodybuilding Supplements

 

The type of supplement that’s best for you depends on what your fitness goals are and how intensely you train. If you’re just aiming to tone up a little and get in shape, you probably don’t need to buy supplements.

 

Yes, I just said that. But then again, I’m not a supplement company trying to sell you… supplements.

 

However, if you’re intensely getting after it in the gym and/or training for competition it might be worth it to get supplements like Vegan BCAA and creatine.

 

When searching for vegan bodybuilding supplements, here are a few things to look for:

 

·         Natural and/or non-GMO ingredients and food sources

·         Absence of dairy and egg ingredients

·         Grams of supplement per serving and amount of servings (cost per serving ratio)

·         Ingredients* you can pronounce

 

*Typically the fewer ingredients, the better. Means less processing.

 

To learn more about supplementation, please read through our Guide to Vegan Bodybuilding Supplements.

 

Vegan Protein Powders

 

More and more professional athletes and bodybuilders are taking up plant-based fitness and doing extremely well. As a result, more supplement companies are offering plant-based protein in their product lines.

 

In fact, go to Whole Foods sometime and look at the protein powder section. You will notice 50-60 percent of the shelf space these days is filled with vegan protein powders.

 

Here are some key components of vegan protein powders to look for:

 

·         Multi-sourced plant-based protein products, a blend of different proteins

·         Organic sprouts like chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, and lentils

·         Minimal processing

·         Favorable customer reviews about the taste and how the powder mixes

 

Vegan Bodybuilding Supplements vs. Food

 

The truth is that you probably don’t need any bodybuilding supplements if you’re eating the right foods. But few of us can keep up with the “perfect diet,” and supplements can help pick up the slack.

 

For many vegan and vegetarian bodybuilders and athletes, supplements can make up for missed nutritional opportunities and add convenience for meal planning.

 

However, everyone’s digestive system and biochemistry processes supplements differently.

 

For instance, creatine doesn’t do anything for me but it has done wonders for many of my friends, so trial* and error is required.

 

*Keeping up with a daily food journal is essential in this process.

 

It’s certainly worth mentioning that the placebo effect is live and well!  So keep an honest assessment of your supplement regimen, workout plan, and overall gains in a journal to determine if supplements are really making a difference for you (observe over 6-12 months).

 

Just because a multi-billion-dollar industry says you need them to reach your fitness goals doesn’t mean that you necessarily do.

 

For topics related to vegan bodybuilding supplements and protein powders, watch this video - You're Wasting Your Money!!!

 

Author Bio:

 

Chris Willitts (creator of V3), is the founder and owner of Vegetarian Bodybuilding.

 

V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System is a mixture of science and author’s advice, providing users with optimal diet and exercise. This system is designed for vegans and vegetarians only.

 

A lot of research has been put in this program. Furthermore, a lot of professional bodybuilders and athletes tried and tested the program, praising its progressiveness and efficiency.

 

The program is about taking control of your own body and health according to your potential and needs. And worry not; you’ll get plenty of proteins with this system. It will boost you with energy, and you’ll feel just a strong as any carnivore would (perhaps even stronger, depending on how much you invest in your exercise). It avoids vitamins deficiency and provides you with a lot of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 

 

Instead of saying things like “I think a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders,” the V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System claims “I know a plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders, and I have results to prove it.”

 

To find out more, visit the website at V3 Bodybuilding – Vegan Bodybuilding Supplements and Protein Powders