Curb Your Veganism | Robert Novitsky

[stef]

Yes, you can get strong on a vegan diet, but only if you know what you're doing. Below, I'll discuss the key downsides of this diet when it comes to doing this in conjunction with a strength training program, such as Starting Strength.

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[Iron Patriot]

One other challenge with a plant based diet (I won’t say “vegan” because that is more of a quasi religious identity), is the amount of fiber. The higher protein plants - e.g., legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds - average a 1:1 fiber to protein ratio. This means a guy eating 150g of protein per day is getting an intolerable amount of fiber. While most Americans don’t get enough fiber, and while your gut can adapt to pretty high amounts over time, 150g will keep you bloated and running to the toilet all day.

I believe the author’s point is that it is possible to succeed on a plant based diet, but it requires a lot of thought and attention to detail. I would add fiber management as another more complicated aspect. Some legumes like black eyed peas and edamame are lower in fiber, and more processed food like tofu and pea protein powder have much less, but this requires the consumer to be constantly solving a linear programming problem - maximizing protein subject to a fiber constraint.