Nick Peksa examines whether an oft-overlooked protein source could be the next big thing in health and nutrition. This article first appeared in ESM July/August 2021.
As an avid runner and reader of books on ultra-running (races longer than 26.2 miles), one of the topics consistently mentioned is diet, and, in particular, a plant-based diet. Some of the greatest-ever ultra-runners are vegan: Catra Corbett, Scott Jurek, Rich Roll and Fiona Oakes, to name but a few. Plant-powered runners are nothing new, however, this only really became popular from 2010 onwards.
With performance in mind, prior to the (sadly cancelled) Tokyo Marathon 2020, I decided to temporarily change my diet to a plant-based one. I was not alone, it seems.
