Though skeptics have argued that a vegan diet lacks adequate protein and calories for top athletes, some competitors see the regimen as essential to their success. “I wasn’t a world champion before I was vegan, I was a world champion because I was vegan,” says Meagan Duhamel, 38, who won gold and bronze medals in team and pairs figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Duhamel, who eliminated all animal products from her diet in 2008, is an advocate of vegan sports nutrition. She retired in 2018 to coach other skaters and still credits her athletic success to daily bowls of oatmeal, homemade chickpea–peanut butter protein cookies, and lentil pastas.
4 Likes
