Thinking of converting to a plant-based diet? You’re in luck - plenty of other athletes are doing the same, and many of them are impressed with its benefits. There’s a good chance you’ve seen The Game Changers trailer when it dropped back in June. This documentary, produced by James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger focused entirely on vegan athletes.

Watch The Game Changers Here

The Game Changers sets up a tentpole finding about gladiators of ancient times, claiming that gladiator bones found in a burial site were studied and revealed that they primarily ate a plant-based diet! The narrator concludes that these gladiators often found plants to be far more plentiful than protein sources at the time. If the greatest warriors in the history of mankind were able to perform on a plant-based diet, why can’t we?

A large portion of the film is dedicated to providing examples of elite vegan athletes. With athletes like Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz taking the spotlight at one point in the film, The Game Changers dives deep into the diets of both athletes prior to their fight. The documentary implies that Diaz ultimately won the fight due to his plant-based diet, juxtaposing this claim with McGregor’s admitted over-consumption of steak and red meat. While obviously over-simplified, and we all know correlation is not causation, the film continues to highlight high-level athletes who are not only performing but crushing their competition on a plant-based diet.

All in all, plant-based diets are clearly popular, even for high level athletes. These athletes have shown that veganism has its competitive and health advantages, making it a viable option for many.

For further reading, check out GCN’s “The Plant Based Cyclist,” a book from Nigel Mitchell, a WorldTour nutritionist. It is essentially a guide to plant-powered cycling, with 23 recipes to accompany your new lifestyle.