Pros and Cons of Being a Vegan and Doing CrossFit

CrossFit is a higher form of workout, and various movements are frequently conducted at a relatively high intensity. This means that CrossFitters will have to participate in exercises that are continually changing from gymnastics, metabolic conditioning to resistant training in one session.

Many people are interested in doing CrossFit, especially vegans. But they have some concerns and questions on whether they are fit for this kind of intense training or not. They also want to know what are their advantages and disadvantages when they do CrossFit. To answer their questions, here are some pros and cons of being a vegan and doing CrossFit:

Pros

1. Healthier food diet

CrossFit workouts require a lot of protein, and people tend to underestimate vegan foods because of their lack of protein. But what they don’t know is that vegan foods are also rich in proteins, such as seitan, tofu, legumes, and quinoa. Not only does it give protein to the athlete, but it also has more nutrients and is healthier than proteins found in meat. 

You can find plenty of blogs that have delicious and tasty vegan recipes packed with protein-rich ingredients. An example of this is the vegan quiches, which contain tofu and other energy-boosting ingredients such as arrowroot powder, oat milk, and many more. Another example of a protein vegan food is quinoa vegetable soup and quinoa and kale salad.

Vegans also eat healthier snacks too like vegetable lavash wraps, quinoa rolls, and more. You can try to look for more vegan recipes online for cooking ideas and more details on how to prepare them.

1. Faster recovery to muscle soreness and pain.

Vegans would have the ability to heal muscle pain faster than non-vegans because some natural food that aids and relieves muscle pain quickly are ingredients for vegans’ daily meals. Some of these ingredients are nuts, seeds, spinach, sweet potato, and green tea.

1. Have more energy than the rest

Vegans during CrossFit sessions would most likely have more energy than the rest of the athletes. A vegan’s body doesn’t need much energy in digesting the food because of the light dishes a vegan eats. Added sugars and saturated fats in everyday foods can slow a person down, but vegan foods do not have those. That’s why it’s more likely that vegans are more energetic when doing CrossFit.

1. Motivated and will not give up easily

Vegans are more motivated and focused on their goals than the rest of the athletes. Eating fruits and vegetables can increase a person’s mental toughness, well-being, and life satisfaction, which means that vegans who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables are much more determined and eager to learn and gain muscles in CrossFit than the rest.

1. Lose weight faster

If you joined CrossFit for the reason of wanting to lose some weight, then being a vegan might be beneficial to your goal. Vegans tend to lose weight faster than non-vegans because of their healthy diet and the nutrients present in their food.

Cons

1. Weaker than the rest and get tired easily

As a vegan crossfitter, you will naturally be weaker than the rest of your class athletes. Although you continuously intake vegan protein foods like tofu or legumes, vegans are at a disadvantage compared to proteins found in egg or meat. Hard work and constant work out is what you need to do to balance the scale. Vegans do not eat red meat, and that’s a known fact, but red meat is rich in vitamins B12 and iron, which your body needs to prevent getting tired quickly. 

1. Prone to heart stroke and to experience headaches, dizziness, and fatigue

CrossFit workouts are intense, and it usually makes your heart beat faster. A faster heartbeat means that the blood is rapidly pumping from the veins to your heart. Meat and eggs are the primary sources of vitamin B12, and as you can see, vegans and CrossFit is a bad match up. You might be in danger of having a heart attack in the middle of your CrossFit session.

Iron is mostly found on animal products, and this vitamin prevents headaches, fatigue, and dizziness. These symptoms are likely to be experienced when you are doing CrossFit, and the intense exercise and workouts might be dangerous if you lack iron.

1. Overconsumption of carbohydrates.

Legumes, oats, and quinoa are the primary source of proteins for vegans, but these foods have high levels of carbohydrates in them. If you overeat carbohydrates, it would kick back and result in a metabolic load on the body. Having overconsumption of carbohydrates leads to weight gain, increased risk of heart diseases, and poor metabolic health.

In terms of diet and nutrition, CrossFitters should have proper meal plans that would be sufficient to aid your body for CrossFit.  Nevertheless, it all depends on the athlete on how he/she would handle himself as a CrossFitter.