What you need to know about plant-based sports nutrition

All proteins are made up of amino acids. Some are essential (those you must obtain from your diet) and some are non-essential (those your body has the ability to make from other amino acids).

BCAAs, short for branched-chain amino acids, are three essential amino acids that help support protein synthesis.

• Leucine
• Isoleucine
• Valine

Benefits of Branched-Chain Amino Acids?

Proteins are important for many reasons, one of which is that they are the building blocks of muscle tissue. These three amino acids, especially leucine, can help support protein synthesis during post-workout muscle recovery¹, which is why many athletes will use BCAAs during or after training.

Back it up—what is protein synthesis?

Protein synthesis is the process of repairing and building muscle tissue. Under proper conditions, with quality building blocks (amino acids and cofactors like vitamins and minerals), muscle tissue grows by repairing the micro-tears that occur during exercise.

How much BCAAs do I need?

If you have specific nutrition or fitness goals, it's always best to work with your healthcare professional or a qualified sports dietitian to find a plan that works for you. Your body and goals are so unique to you that creating a plan as special as you are is the best way to achieve your goals.

Currently, research suggests that 10g of essential amino acids, including about 2 grams of leucine, are needed to help support muscle recovery. This is usually found in about 20-25g of high-quality protein.

What foods contain BCAAs?

Good news, if you eat a variety of whole foods, you're already consuming BCAAs. The total amount of protein and the amount of each amino acid you get will depend on the foods and the quantity you eat. Many plant-based foods are a source of leucine, including oats, lentils, and beans.

If you're looking for an easy way to add quality protein, including 3.4g of leucine, to your diet, try Vega Sport^® Protein - Plant-Based Protein Powder.

Plant-Based Nutrition for Athletes

How you fuel yourself can mean the difference between a new personal best and an at-best mediocre workout. It's on this principle that Vega was founded, and it's what drove us to create the Vega Sport^® Nutrition System, a series of plant-based sports nutrition products designed to help you optimize every stage of your workout.

YOUR PRE-WORKOUT ENERGY:

Before you start your session, you'll want to fuel your body. We offer two options: one for people who like to fill up with food and one for people who get excited with a pre-workout drink.

DRINK IT:

Vega Sport^® Premium Energizer offers fast-acting caffeine and simple carbohydrates from coconut sugar and brown rice syrup. We use organic coffee fruit extract, sourced from the coffee fruit, as well as green tea caffeine. The effect of caffeine depends on the individual, but it has been found to help you focus on your session.

Brown rice syrup is almost entirely composed of glucose. Glucose is a fast-acting energy source because glucose can be metabolized by all cells in the body: fructose can only be metabolized in significant amounts by the liver. When glucose – which is stored as glycogen – is depleted, muscles can become fatigued. Consuming carbohydrates can help prevent hitting the wall due to lack of glycogen.

If you're looking for something sugar-free, we've got you covered. Choose Vega Sport^® Sugar-Free Energizer for all the caffeine and none of the carbohydrates.

YOUR MID-WORKOUT HYDRATION

When sweat starts to run down your face, you're not just losing water, you're also losing electrolytes. The amount of water and electrolytes you lose depends on temperature, humidity, and activity type.

Rather than waiting until you feel dizzy or cramped, hydrate regularly throughout your workout with Vega Sport^® Hydrator. It will help replenish your electrolytes and also provide you with vitamin C, without loading you up with sugar. Electrolytes help regulate our balance, heart, nerve, and muscle functions. An adequate supply of electrolytes is necessary to ensure the proper functioning of all systems.

We designed Vega Sport^® Hydrator as a mid-workout hydration aid. That's why each serving contains higher levels of sodium (230 mg) than potassium (115 mg), magnesium (20 mg), or calcium (50 mg) – sweat contains substantial amounts of sodium, with smaller amounts of other electrolytes.

YOUR POST-WORKOUT RECOVERY

After your workout, your body needs carbohydrates to replenish muscle glycogen stores and protein to support muscle repair. Carbohydrates help replenish muscle glycogen; you can choose simple options like toast with nut butter or a simple smoothie, or you can quickly mix a serving of Vega Sport^® Recovery. Recovery offers up to 16g of carbohydrates from whole grain brown rice sweetener, which is a simple carbohydrate that helps replenish muscle glycogen.

Tissue and cell regeneration is an ongoing process that continues after our workouts end. Our bodies convert proteins consumed in our diet into amino acids for use in repairing and rebuilding muscles – as we all know, this is important after exercise.

That's why Vega Sport^® Premium Protein includes 30g of plant-based protein, including 5g of BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. We also selected plant-based ingredients specifically for post-workout recovery, like tart cherry.

Maple Protein Shake

Ingredients:

1 tbsp gluten-free oats
2 tbsp almond butter
1 cup maple water (if you can't find it, substitute 2 tsp maple syrup and 1 cup water)
1 serving of Vanilla Vega^Sport® Protein
1 tsp cinnamon ice (optional)
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Method:

1. Blend all ingredients.
2. Enjoy!
3. Garnish with a drizzle of maple syrup.