Lifting while Vegan/Vegetarian

[Spartan040]

I've *finally* gotten my girlfriend of 6 months interested in barbell strength training (once the gyms open back up). She's pretty weak right now at 5'4 and 115 pounds, doesn't have much muscle mass. She's completely untrained when it comes to resistance training, but she did take up running a couple months ago.

She's a vegetarian for moral reasons. I'm not going to argue with her about it, not like she forces her own views on me. She isn't pretentious or preachy about it either.

My question is, can someone still gain a lot of strength and muscle mass while being a vegetarian? She's okay with eating eggs and dairy products, just not too often. Should they still aim for the same 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight measurement? Should the weight on the bar's increases be slowed down at all? What are the most bioavailable and highly concentrated protein sources she should be eating that won't also include an excess of carbs?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

We wouldn't expect any differences in strength or hypertrophy outcomes in a vegan or vegetarian lifter compared to a lifter who consumes animal products provided they get enough protein in, e.g. 1.6-3.1 g/kg/day depending on the context.

I wouldn't worry about finding "the most bioavailable protein", but rather supporting her resistance training journey as best as you can. If she asks for dietary advice from you, you can recommend:

1. Total daily Calorie intake should achieve healthy body fat and muscle mass levels, while also supporting appropriate amounts of physical activity. Vegetarian and vegan approaches can be utilized based on individual preferences, as vegans and vegetarians tend to eat an average of 600 and 263 fewer Calories per day compared to those who eat both plants and meat, respectively. Clarys 2014
2. Total dietary protein intake should fall between 1.6-3.1 grams per kilogram body weight per day, unless medically contraindicated. Those who are gaining or maintaining weight should aim for the lower to middle-range, whereas those who are losing weight and/or who have risk factors for anabolic resistance may aim for the middle to upper range. For those able to consume protein within this range, we are not concerned about animal/marine versus plant sources of protein, as plant protein sources appear to be equivalent to animal protein sources when dosed at this level. In contrast, this distinction may have more relevance for individuals needing to consume a protein-restricted diet. Babault 2015,Joy 2013, Hartman 2007
3. Total dietary fiber intake should be at least 25-30 grams per day, ideally sourced from vegetables, fruits, and complex carbohydrate sources. Reynolds 2019 We recommend eating as many servings of fruits and vegetables as is consistent with the total calorie and protein goals mentioned above. Fiber intake may also mitigate some of the potential negative effects of a diet high in saturated fat. Wallstrom 2012
4. Dietary fat intake should be primarily unsaturated, e.g. from marine and plant sources, with saturated fat limited to approximately 10% or less of total Calories. When replacing saturated fat with other nutrients, we recommend foods rich in PUFA, MUFA, or complex carbohydrates depending on an individual’s preferences, Calorie goal, and individual response to the diet. This recommendation is strongest for those at elevated cardiovascular risk. With respect to red meat, the current recommendation of limiting intake to 12-18 ounces of cooked red meat per week is reasonable, although we feel less strongly about this if the the other criteria above are being met. Processed red meat should be limited to less than 1.7 ounces (50 grams) per day.

If she needs a supplemental protein, we make the highest quality one on the market IMO: https://www.barbellmedicine.com/shop...otein-vanilla/

[Spartan040]

We wouldn't expect any differences in strength or hypertrophy outcomes in a vegan or vegetarian lifter compared to a lifter who consumes animal products provided they get enough protein in, e.g. 1.6-3.1 g/kg/day depending on the context.

I wouldn't worry about finding "the most bioavailable protein", but rather supporting her resistance training journey as best as you can. If she asks for dietary advice from you, you can recommend:

1. Total daily Calorie intake should achieve healthy body fat and muscle mass levels, while also supporting appropriate amounts of physical activity. Vegetarian and vegan approaches can be utilized based on individual preferences, as vegans and vegetarians tend to eat an average of 600 and 263 fewer Calories per day compared to those who eat both plants and meat, respectively. Clarys 2014
2. Total dietary protein intake should fall between 1.6-3.1 grams per kilogram body weight per day, unless medically contraindicated. Those who are gaining or maintaining weight should aim for the lower to middle-range, whereas those who are losing weight and/or who have risk factors for anabolic resistance may aim for the middle to upper range. For those able to consume protein within this range, we are not concerned about animal/marine versus plant sources of protein, as plant protein sources appear to be equivalent to animal protein sources when dosed at this level. In contrast, this distinction may have more relevance for individuals needing to consume a protein-restricted diet. Babault 2015,Joy 2013, Hartman 2007
3. Total dietary fiber intake should be at least 25-30 grams per day, ideally sourced from vegetables, fruits, and complex carbohydrate sources. Reynolds 2019 We recommend eating as many servings of fruits and vegetables as is consistent with the total calorie and protein goals mentioned above. Fiber intake may also mitigate some of the potential negative effects of a diet high in saturated fat. Wallstrom 2012
4. Dietary fat intake should be primarily unsaturated, e.g. from marine and plant sources, with saturated fat limited to approximately 10% or less of total Calories. When replacing saturated fat with other nutrients, we recommend foods rich in PUFA, MUFA, or complex carbohydrates depending on an individual’s preferences, Calorie goal, and individual response to the diet. This recommendation is strongest for those at elevated cardiovascular risk. With respect to red meat, the current recommendation of limiting intake to 12-18 ounces of cooked red meat per week is reasonable, although we feel less strongly about this if the the other criteria above are being met. Processed red meat should be limited to less than 1.7 ounces (50 grams) per day.

If she needs a supplemental protein, we make the highest quality one on the market IMO: https://www.barbellmedicine.com/shop...otein-vanilla/

Thanks Jordan! That's what I needed to know