One of the biggest myths surrounding vegetarian and vegan diets is that they cannot supply enough protein for optimal performance. But this simply isn’t true. Thanks to documentaries like The Game Changers and the growing list of high-profile sportspeople who attribute their recent success to the benefits of a plant-based diet – Chris Froome, Venus Williams, Scott Jurek, Tom Daley, Adam Peaty, David Haye and Lewis Hamilton to name a few – the popular image of a weak vegetarian or vegan athlete has been buried. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger has joined the ranks of converts.

Anecdotally, there’s plenty of support for the performance benefits of a vegetarian or vegan diet. Converts claim to have had increased energy, faster recovery, less illness and fewer injuries since giving up meat. Veganism, it seems, has become not only acceptable but even desirable. But what does the science say? Can you really build muscle on a vegetarian or vegan diet?

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