I think if you're trying it just to try it, it's not going to work. Your post reads a bit like you're looking for some sort of performance advantage for labeling yourself a vegan (ok becoming vegan). Don't expect some magical transformation, it's not going to happen just because you all of the sudden stop consuming animal products. There's certain things that might change as a result of going vegan. For example, depending on your current diet, you may have to think a lot more about how you eat, particularly at first, which as a result might make a positive impact (or negative if you lose weight you're not looking to lose). However, if you put that much effort and thought into what you eat as a non-vegan, you will likely have similar results. You'll also likely have to break some eating habits, which in and of itself can be hard regardless of whether you're vegan or not.

Anyway, this might be helpful.

Lastly, don't do it because anyone else does it or tells you to do it (or not do it) - Do it if you want to, don't if you don't want to.

Which one you tell people first at a party.

Lol classic!!

lol. True. I passed a guy on Zwift today that had VEGAN as most of his username. I was like, who even asked?

Well I am vegetarian-not vegan but. We mostly eat lentils-Middle Eastern and Indian food (it has tons of vegetarian/vegan options). Did it because I did not want to stuff myself with antibiotic filled meat which is seriously unhealthy nor the toxins that come from meat processing (bleach and such). Lentils are high protein so that bloody well helped and I love it.

Backdoor brag!

Came here to make this comment.

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Eliot
blog thing - strava thing

Ha, the irony of triathletes making this joke. Does the vegan triathlete at this party first run over to tell someone he/she is a vegan or a triathlete?!? Or both at once?

My advice is to take your time with the transition, take it gradually and learn your body reaction to changing your nutrition.

Start with cutting red meat and dairy for example, then take out all white meat, then cut eggs ans fish ... record how your body is responding to the food change, you should also be increasing your bean intake as well as high quality carbs.

You have to think also about eating more in general since plant based food has more fiber and less fat/calories then your regular meaty options

I have been plant based for the past few years and it had no negative effect on my performance, u just have to think about food more then non plant based options.

I can't say there are major performance gains for plant based diet, since - as everything - it depends on you. It can be limiting however if you aren’t doing it right. That being said, plant based diet is more healthy for sure for your overall well being and for the animals too :).


Just Keep in mind that cutting animal products is very different than a whole foods plant based diet. The latter is what what you should be after.


Look for content online too, RichRoll podcast has a lot of good information, Tyler (VeganCyclist) did some nutrition episodes too, so make sure to check them out.


Good luck in general, if you have specific questions dnt hesitate to PM

Who are the vegan triathletes?

Honestly not sure currently. Rich Roll did two ultramen and the original Epic 5 completely vegan. Rip Esselstyn was a pro triathlete for a while. I think Brendan Braizer was a pro as well when he was doing triathlons before starting Vega. I think that Lionel Sanders went vegan last year but I am not sure of the status of that now. That being said, there are plenty of plant based athletes in all different sports ranging from power lifting to ultra distance races to NFL, NBA, Premier League soccer, F1 drivers. Despite what people on this forum will say, it can have a positive impact on your performance if done properly.

Why did you choose to go vegan?

I went plant based largely for health reasons. It has been shown to prevent and reverse heart disease (see the work of Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn), it has been shown to prevent and reverse cancers (see the work of T. Colin Campbell) and reduce GI issues, acne, eczema, and control weight well (all of which I have seen the impact of personally) amongst other health benefits (see the work of Dr Michael Greger - http://www.nutritionfacts.org). These positive impacts can be based on the specific diet eaten by the individual. Saying you are eating vegan really doesn't say much. There are so many options now, some healthy and an increasing amount unhealthy. If you are looking for healthy it is best to stick with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, tofu.

I know racing competitively can be done on a vegan diet, how did you transition, how long did it take you to really start to feel/see a difference positively and/or negatively?

I went plant based before I started doing races but I was biking heavily before I changed my diet. The biggest thing I have noticed is my recovery has improved and my injury rate has decreased. I saw this pretty much immediately and improved as I went along with the diet.

What has been the most difficult aspect of being vegan and a triathlete?

Eating enough food. We eat largely unprocessed whole food plant based with very minimal added oil. This means we consume a lot of fiber. This is a great thing for controlling calories but also means that eating enough food when burning 3,000+ calories a day can be difficult. We have adapted with time but are still sometimes amazed at the volume of food we go through in a week.

What is a reasonable length of time to go with a vegan diet to see if it is sustainable for someone before the decide it is/is not for them?

Honestly, it can take a while. It is a big adjustment from the standard american diet. You certainly know yourself best but often it is most successful to slowly transition. Start at a meal or two a week and add a couple meals every week. It took me a while to fully go plant based but that gave my body time to adjust to the changes.

Let me know if you have any other questions, either in this thread or via DM. All of the people posting snarky comments are uninformed and feel threatened. I have no intention of going back to eating animals or their secretions. I have noticed nothing but positive results athletically. Good luck!

Oh and if you do it be prepared for people to make fun of you, ask you invasive questions about your food and generally treat you like you are crazy. It becomes easier to deal with in time but just keep in mind it is them not you.

Just Google Vegan and Triathlete.
You'll end up with zillions of results,enough to keep you busy till summer. Enjoy :-) !!

IN eastern Canada, we have this guy : https://antoinejd.com/

Louis :-)

ROFL! Watopia around 11 AM Pacific? I saw him too.

Being vegan means not harming animals, and trying to save the environment. If you want to do it for triathlon that's not what veganism is for, or about.

I'm a triathlete vegan pilot. DO NOT invite me to a party.

Now I just need to pick up crossfit….. (never!)

We have found a unicorn!

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Eliot
blog thing - strava thing

Just in time to throw some burgers on the grill.

Thank you everyone for your replies and information.

I will be taking some of the information gathering pointers to heart and see what I can find, understand and ultimately make the decision for or against going vegan, for my own rational.

This may be true for a good number of people who are vegan, but by no stretch for all. I know others that are vegan for simply the dietary benefits it has given them.

Veganism as a lifestyle, yes I would probably agree with you more. You can still consume a vegan diet without having the same beliefs of the stereotype that is vegan.

I am not looking to do vegan based food for triathlon, I am doing it for the health benefits, some factual, some perceived. I am someone who races in triathlon and if a different more healthy way of eating can still be done without hindering performance then why not? I am not changing my eating habits to better my triathlon performance, I am not fast enough for that to make a dramatic impact.

lol. Well, it wasn't that difficult. I didn't even have to put down my BBQ sandwich!

I'm a vegan athlete of 12 years. Vegetarian most of my life. My husband of 21 years is also vegan and does triathlons/endurance events with me. For us it was the best thing we ever did. We love it!

So plant-based is just a diet abstaining from animal products and veganism is a lifestyle (it's all good!!). For me I lead a lifestyle where I do my best to cause the least amount of suffering to animals, humans, the environment. No one is perfect but we do the best we can. I don't throw stones at anyone else's lifestyle because I know I am certainly far from being perfect. Veganism works for us but maybe not everyone.

I truly love animals and that is my motivation to be vegan. Even as a kid I just loved animals and never wanted to eat them. I'm a bit of an anomaly (yes I was super strange kid) My husband initially went vegan for health reasons. But now he is very passionate about veganism as an ethical lifestyle choice. After Ironman Copenhagen we drove over an hour to visit an animal sanctuary in central Denmark for abused farm animals. I will probably volunteer regularly at a farm animal sanctuary after my days of Ironman racing are done.

The most difficult aspect of being vegan is having my eyes opened up to the atrocities of factory farming and how the general population lacks compassion towards the abuse and suffering of animals, especially farm animals. Also it is always astounding to be ridiculed for not wanting to hurt animals. Most people are polite to us if they find out about our diet. Our fellow local athletes are always kind and respectful of our beliefs...and vice versa. But the comments towards other vegans online are just so depressing. The general population on social media is not very kind to us herbivores. The stereotype that vegans push their views and want to take away your meat is so false. Every vegan I've met is very kind and low key and would never push their beliefs. So beware, the hardest part of going vegan is dealing with other people.

Going plant-based is not going to make you faster but it certainly won't hurt as long as you eat a sensible diet with whole-foods. And getting enough calories is important too!

My advice to fellow athletes who ask me is this: Do what works for you. Do what feels right for you. Only you can make the decision. "follow your heart"

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Death is easy....peaceful. Life is harder.

Thanks for the thoughtful insight.

I agree with this post, I am plant based and train under a coaching group that has a lot of plant based/vegan athletes. It is a choice. I like it and I am not trying to convert anyone. It works for me.

i by no means consider myself vegan or even a vegetarian, and i dont plan on going that direction.

HOWEVER, i have more recently started shifting to get a lot more veggies in my diet with less emphasis on meats.

my overall "well" feeling throughout the day has went up, and when i do indulge in a good serving of red meat i can feel it slow me down overall.

i ran across the term "flexitarian" the other day online. i feel like thats the best route for myself.

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80/20 Endurance Ambassador

Not eating meat

I was a bodybuilder before I started triathlon so I was a protein protein protein guy. Once I started getting into triathlon I loved it but I had a really bad cramping problem for the first two years in the sport. I stumbled on Rich Roll's finding Ultra book. It lead me to try and switch to plant based so I started reading up and researching. I listened to Rich Roll's podcast, Ive read Brendan Brazier's Thrive Diet and Matt Frazier's No Meat Athlete.

So I started going "veganish" during training for my 70.3 which was probably about 4 to 5 months. I did pretty well on the race shaved like 25 mins off last years time and got a new PB. Right after the race I went back to eating meat.

This coming season I am more vegetarian on weekdays and have a meat day cheat day usually on saturday or sunday. This is way better in managing my weight. Working well so far. No need to go to the extreme even though I consider myself as an extreme person.