Everything you need to know about protein, supplements, meal timing, and more.
by the USDA, contain fiber and other substances that can limit absorption in the small intestine. “If you eat a raw vegan diet, you may need to aim for 2.7 grams per kilogram of body weight, which is just an insane amount of broccoli and beans,” Zinchenko says.
Whole foods generally take longer to digest, which is why serious muscle-builders may want to chug a protein shake on a relatively empty stomach—and why both David and Zinchenko recommend some sort of protein supplementation. Pojednic suggests it too, particularly if your stomach can’t handle a full meal after lifting.Vegans need to take a B12 supplement.
Aim to get 0.25 and 0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per meal. Or, to put it way simpler, space out your protein over 3 or 4 meals a day, not just all at once in a mega smoothie. The other science-backed tip is to make sure you’re eating 20-30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of training. “The literature shows that ingesting both protein and carbs in that window promotes muscle growth and recovery, which helps you stay up on your training regimen.” Yes, that can be a protein shake—but it can also be a peanut butter sandwich.
The science is a little bit muddier for eating before and during training. Pojednic says to go with your preference, and how much food you want in your digestive tract while you’re doing heavy squats. Overloading your G.I. system is particularly easy for vegans, whose foods contain so much fiber. You can definitely get a tummy ache from eating a salad before training, because all the blood is “shunted away” from your digestive organs in favor of, say, your quads.