🥗 Nutrition · 4 min read

Training on a vegetarian or vegan diet: what actually matters

What the studies show

Several controlled studies have compared strength training at comparable protein intake from plant and animal sources. Where total amount was matched, no meaningful differences in strength and muscle mass appeared.

The qualifications belong with it: the studies are predominantly small, run over weeks to a few months and often use young, healthy participants. They say little about decades or about competitive sport.

What can be derived is nevertheless usable: the dietary pattern as such is not the decisive factor. Decisive is whether intake is reached — and that is a question of planning, not of category.

The protein question, concretely

Plant foods generally contain protein at lower concentration than animal foods. Reaching the same amount therefore takes more volume — and that is the practical core of the matter.

Digestibility comes on top: plant cell walls and individual constituents reduce absorption. Soaking, cooking, sprouting and fermenting lessen that effect. On balance it is assumed that a somewhat higher intake makes sense on a purely plant-based diet than on a mixed one; exactly how much is not settled and is quantified differently.

The amino acid pattern complements itself when different groups appear — pulses alongside grains, plus nuts and seeds. That this combination has to happen within one meal is now regarded as outdated; the day is the more sensible frame.

In practice, soy products, pulses in all forms, seitan, nuts and seeds and — on a vegetarian diet — dairy and eggs contribute most to intake.

Nutrients that demand attention

Beyond protein there are nutrients that do not occur in plant foods at all or occur in a less available form. They are the actual reason a purely plant-based diet requires planning.

• Vitamin B12 occurs in appreciable amounts only in animal foods. On a vegan diet a reliable source is required; which one and in what form is a question for medical or dietetic advice.
• Iron is present in plant foods in a form absorbed less well than the animal form. Absorption also depends on what is eaten or drunk at the same time.
• Longer-chain omega-3 fatty acids occur mainly in oily sea fish. Conversion from plant alpha-linolenic acid does occur, but to a limited extent.
• Calcium, zinc, iodine and vitamin D likewise warrant a second look depending on food choices.

This text deliberately names no amounts and no preparations. Requirements differ between people and life stages, and whether and how a gap is closed belongs in a consultation — on a vegan diet sensibly with checks of the relevant values.

Creatine and other much-discussed points

Creatine occurs in food mainly in meat and fish. People on a purely plant-based diet have on average lower stores in muscle. The body also produces creatine itself, so no gap in the strict sense arises — the difference in stores is measurable and its practical significance for people who train is the subject of research.

Whether and in what form supplementation makes sense is not a question for a general text. It depends on the goal, on the rest of the diet and on individual circumstances, and belongs in professional advice.

The same applies to other points debated in forums. What holds is the principle: choosing a dietary pattern in which certain nutrients are systematically absent means planning those points deliberately rather than hoping they balance out.

What helps in everyday life

The most common difficulty when switching is not a single nutrient but volume. Plant-based meals are often larger at the same energy content, and anyone unused to that eats too little at first — with noticeable consequences for performance and recovery.

What works in practice is planning a protein-rich component into every meal rather than hoping it spreads across the day. Pulses can be cooked in larger batches, soy products are available in many forms, and wholegrain products contribute more in total than their per-portion protein content suggests.

The second point is the transition period. A marked increase in fibre often leads to a feeling of fullness at first. Gradual change over weeks is usually tolerated better than an abrupt switch.

And the third: the first weeks are no yardstick. Judging performance and recovery needs a timeframe of months and a log — not the feeling of the second week.

Last reviewed: 14.08.2026

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