Hello,

If I were to achieve the optimal amount of protein per day using only plant-based sources, legumes and grains would be included more than once a day for athletes. For variety, is it okay if I have a combination of legumes and grains up to 3 times a day, including just quinoa, buckwheat, etc., in a portion?

How should other sources like seeds and vegetables be combined?

How should the amount of grains and legumes in one serving be perceived if one amino acid is limiting? Should, for example, a target of a 100g portion be divided into 50g of grains and 50g of legumes? What ratio is acceptable in practice?

In a purely vegan diet, this is, of course, a logical consideration, essentially the only possible one. In this situation, however, you must take into account that the amount of protein per day would have to be significantly higher than in a mixed diet situation due to the law of the limiting amino acid. This raises the question of whether an athlete would be able to consume such a large quantity of food, as the mentioned protein sources are tied to a certain amount of carbohydrates and fiber. This, at the same time, for antinutritional reasons, leads to lower biological availability and a greater burden on digestion, which means from the perspective of overall efficiency, we are talking about a highly disadvantageous approach regardless of the proportions of legumes and cereals, including the representation of other plant protein sources.

You can improve the overall balance by using plant-based protein supplements, which are free from these burdensome substances and are much more digestible.

Themes:  Weight loss   Proteins