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People who say vegans are wimpy and weak are really misinformed at this point in the game, let’s be honest. PlantBuilt, a vegan non-profit bodybuilding organization proves that with so many plant-based protein options out there, vegans are most often well-fueled machines with plenty of strength and energy.

The non-profit collectively won 32 medals, 22 of them for first place, during the 2017 Naturally Fit Games in Austin, Texas last Saturday. That’s right, 32 medals. The games had a total of 1,000 participants, 39 of them included PlantBuilt participants. The challenges included kettlebells, powerlifting, bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, and CrossFit.


Not only did PlantBuilt win 32 medals, one team member, Sara Lee, set both the world and American records for kettlebell. What’s that again about needing meat to be strong? Yeah, we can’t hear you over all this winning.

“People may chuckle at the little vegan team in the morning,” Giacomo Marchese, co-founder of PlantBuilt told VegNews, “but by the evening, when we have shown what we can do, we have many people asking more about veganism and plant-based lifestyles.”

Whoa, look at all that vegan muscle!

Way to smash those stereotypes, PlantBuilt!


PlantBuilt was founded in 2013 by husband-and-wife team Dani Taylor and Giacomo Marchese and to date, more than 100 athletes — from countries around the world including Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Great Britain, and Germany — have competed with the PlantBuilt team. PlantBuilt has raised $20,000 to support vegan outreach organizations, non-profits, and farmed animal sanctuaries. Pretty cool!

Plant-based diets have been shown to lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, kidney failure, diabetes, and according to research, can literally lengthen your lifespan. So, if you’re an athlete, skip the energy drinks, the stimulants, the muscle enhancers, and all that other jazz and look to your diet for help with performance and recovery. Eating more plant-based foods could be the answer you need to gain more energy and improve overall health.


If you’re considering becoming a plant-powered body builder or athlete, check out Common Benefits Athletes Experience When Switching to a Vegan Diet and check out these tips on preparing vegan foods for your workouts. You can also check out one of our favorite bodybuilder’s tips for staying energized and buff the plant-based way!

Looking to cut back on meat and dairy? We highly recommend that you check out the Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone. With over 8,000 vegan recipes (and over 10 new recipes added daily), you’re going to find something you love!


Image source: PlantBuilt/Facebook