Macro partitioning
A well-planned vegetarian diet supports muscle hypertrophy and strength gains comparable to omnivorous diets when protein intake (1.6-2.2 g/kg/day) and energy balance are adequately managed.
To build muscle on a vegetarian diet, prioritize getting 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Ensure you are eating enough total calories to support your training. Focus on variety—combining legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds—to ensure you get enough leucine and other essential amino acids. This approach supports muscle growth just as effectively as an omnivorous diet.
A evidência parece ser sugestiva de que dietas vegetarianas podem ser opções viáveis em atletas, promover e fomentar a sua força, resistência e performance... A combinação de uma ingestão proteica adequada (1,6-2,2 g/kg/ dia) e o treino de força parecem ser, atualmente, a estratégia mais eficiente para sustentar a hipertrofia e o aumento da força muscular.
Why this rating
The paper is a narrative review citing multiple studies; it is not a primary RCT itself but synthesizes evidence showing equivalence.
Source
A dieta vegetariana e o aumento da força muscular e da massa muscular
M. J. Dias et al. · Acta Portuguesa de Nutrição · 2022
DOI 10.21011/apn.2022.3115
More from this paper
- Vegetarian athletes must pay special attention to micronutrients (Iron, Zinc, Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12) to support muscle development and prevent deficiencies that could impair performance.Good
- Vegetarian diets may enhance endurance performance (VO2 max and time to exhaustion) compared to omnivorous diets, likely due to higher carbohydrate availability.Moderate
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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