Vdubs
Hall of Famer
You have read scantily. SIMON HIMSELF IS AN ATHLETE, he interviews elite athletes.People boiled their boot leather and ate it in ww2. You can do almost anything, the questions was is it optimal and the answer is categorically not. If you're being told it's not you're being sold a bill of goods.
I read his blogs. It's fine for a non athlete. For an athlete it doesn't make sense. Some ideas to look at:
*Just because an athlete can do plant based doesn't mean its optimal. If Usain Bolt went vegan, he'd still likely have been one of the fastest people to have ever lived. Genetics, coaching, mentality and environment all play large rolls.
- total protein isn't the thing we're initially chasing, it's making sure we hit the right ratios of amino acids. If we don't wont trigger protein synthesis. Plant foods are typically very low in these. Post the triggers then we're into total macros
- Meta studies or any Resistance Training V Dietary intervention are a real battle. Generally it's always some local college kids on campus with a low training age and a low threshold for growth and strength gains on an 8 week program to fit into a term. Longitudinal studies of this nature are really hard to implement and there are bugger all to look at
- They're not training 15-20 hours a week. RDI's for athletes who do contact sport, collision sport and who need an inflated body mass generally need 2+ and sometimes 3+g of protein per day per kg bw. I had an athlete who worked best at about 4, which is insane.
Whole foods and eating plants I'm totally on board with for general health, skipping animal products I'm not.
The GOAT tennis player, Novak, has been whole foods plant based and attributes that to his endurance and energy levels.
Animal products are just not needed.
Plant eating must be done with care, but it is optimal in every aspect. For the now AND the future.