How turning vegan made me a faster runner

…5 ways turning to a plant-based diet made me stronger

6 min readMay 18, 2018

I’m a runner and amateur athlete — it’s no secret that I love running! Over the past two years I’ve been finding ways to improve my strength and running ability. Most recently I’ve run a full marathon, three half marathons and countless other short and long distance road races, as well as beating all of my personal best running times… but I wasn’t always fast! And I didn’t get faster purely through training. I’ve done it by switching to a vegan lifestyle or what you might know as a ‘plant-based’ diet.

After being vegetarian for a year, I turned vegan in November 2017, cutting all animal products from my diet. This was primarily due to my love for animals. I didn’t expect it to also have such an impact on my fitness routine… but I soon noticed major differences happening to my body. I became stronger and a lot more energetic, for the first time I even began winning trophies for my running.

The past 6 months have been my best in terms of running ability and performance. I 100% believe that turning vegan has taken my fitness to a higher level, I feel better in myself — physically and mentally. So why is being vegan better for fitness?

Vegan athletes

Over the last few years veganism has erupted massively within fitness and bodybuilding, people are waking up to the fact that adopting a vegan lifestyle is one of the healthiest things we can do for our bodies. As a runner I was interested to discover the link between veganism and fitness, but found that there is still a bit of a stigma surrounding plant-based diets and athletes. The usual argument I read is that we need to consume meat for protein, but it’s become clear through my research of vegans and protein that this is not true.

Vegan diets have increased rapidly in popularity amongst famous athletes. You only have to look at the likes of Venus Williams, Mike Tyson, MMA fighter Mac Danzig, and ultra-runner Scott Jurek to name only a few! Nobody can ignore what these guys have achieved on a plant-based diet.

“In regards to competing and training I noticed my recovery times had shortened, that I was less injury prone, and had a higher level of energy.” — Scott Jurek

Yummy fresh food! Photo courtesy of pixabay.com

Training

I know what you’re thinking… improved fitness comes from training, and yes of course it plays a large part. I’d been following a strict training schedule but I was trying to figure out the secret to how I could be an even faster runner. I just couldn’t see how I could train harder than I already was. That’s when I discovered Scott Jurek and his journey as an ultra-marathon champion… on a vegan diet! If it worked for Scott it could also work for me too right?!

How have I improved?

When I look back at when I began to gain strength, it made me realise that training is not the only factor that helped improve my fitness and running capabilities. My new vegan diet has in fact played a major part, and here are my reasons why:

1. More energy

My energy levels have MASSIVELY increased since switching to a plant-based diet. I no longer feel lethargic during the day and no longer struggle to wake up in the morning. I’m convinced this new-found energy comes from being vegan. I feel stronger and for the first time I’ve been able to run further and much faster. Carbohydrates are our bodies main source of fuel during exercise, and complex carbohydrates from whole natural foods such as whole-wheat pasta and bread, brown rice, quinoa and cereals are a great source of slow release energy, just what athletes need for powering through a training session.

2. Reduced recovery times

The chronic aches and pains that I used to get after training sessions have all but disappeared. Not only can I now train harder for longer, my recovery times have reduced rapidly and I recover much quicker after a race. Plant-based foods are a much healthier source for muscle growth and repair, vital for recovery time after exercise. Quinoa, tofu and soybean products are all high in protein, but low in saturated fat.

Seconds away from finishing the Malta Marathon 2018. © Davina Spriggs.

3. Improved health

I started paying real attention to nutrition for the first time and gave up eating processed convenience junk foods. By switching to a natural cleaner diet I noticed the difference very quickly in the improved appearance of my skin and hair. There’s so many plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy these days, there really is no need to eat meat to build strength. Plant-based foods give athletes all of the protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and nutrients we need to grow stronger, without the saturated fats and high levels of cholesterol found in animal products. And did you know that diets heavy in meats have been linked to causing diseases such as cancer and heart disease? Source: nutritionfacts.org

4. Better sleep

This is vital for athletes! Our bodies needs proper time to rest and recover after intense training sessions, something that I used to take for granted. I’d always been a light sleeper and struggled to stick to a regular sleeping pattern. Highly processed foods containing animal products left me bloated and unable to sleep. Straight away after changing my diet I saw an improvement in my sleep routine and I now get a lot more quality sleep time.

5. Less sickness

I used to get sick a lot, like all the time! Before turning vegan there always seemed to be something getting in the way of my training, if not physically then mentally — a cold, flu, tiredness, lack of energy, no motivation, stress. I got really fed up with feeling low every month from another illness. Exercise obviously is a great remedy for this but I’m also an avid believer in food as medicine. Since being vegan I rarely get sick and my stress levels have dropped significantly.

Finally…

I never expected veganism to have the potential to change my fitness levels in the way it has done. The number one best thing I did for my body as a runner was to switch to a plant-based diet. The impact I’ve seen on my fitness levels is not just down to training alone, combined with a vegan diet my strength and condition have progressed faster and further than I ever could imagine.

Being a vegan runner has helped put me in the best shape I’ve ever been, and this year I’ve proven that through my running achievements. Eating natural plant-based foods is without a doubt a better way of living! And if you’re interested to find out more about food as medicine check out the documentary What the Health, everybody should watch this! It’s eye-opening and informative without preaching.

Thanks for reading! I share my stories in the hope it can inspire other people, what’s your thoughts on vegan athletes and building muscle on plant-based food?… I’d love to hear.

I’d just like to add one last note — I’m not a fitness expert neither am I a qualified nutritionist, I’m merely stating what has helped me be a better runner from my own proven techniques. I’m not suggesting everyone should immediately make a drastic change to their diet, if you’re really concerned about issues with your current diet I recommend you seek further advice in the first instance.

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Davina lives on the Mediterranean island of Malta where she works as a UX designer. Originally from the UK she has also lived in Barcelona. See some of her work here: www.davinaspriggs.com