The European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA) has released a guide to vegan and vegetarian sports nutrition, in partnership with sports nutritionist and author TJ Waterfall.  

This guide was created to support and empower the growing number of vegan and vegetarian sports nutrition consumers and to ensure that everyone understands just how well the sports nutrition industry caters to plant-based diets. 

ESSNA is an alliance of European and North American sports nutrition companies and TJ Waterfall is a vegan and vegetarian nutrition specialist who founded Meat Free Fitness.  

It unpacks common terminology that underpins vegan and vegetarian diets, outlines which products are suitable for different plant-based diets, where to find safe plant-based sports nutrition products and explains how these products support performance and active lifestyles. 

This guide is being released as part of a series of consumer-facing educational projects that ESSNA is driving forward to keep active people consuming sports nutrition products effectively and confidently. ESSNA’s efforts have been redoubled in light of Covid-19 having witnessed an increase in people turning to the internet and as a result, an increase in the spread of misinformation online.  

Adam Carey, the Chair of ESSNA, said:  

“The world of sports nutrition is expanding daily. So too is the demand for vegan and vegetarian sports nutrition products. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. This guide will help anyone to do so from the perspective of plant-based products. 

“Whether you’re looking to go flexitarian, have been vegan for years and never realised sports nutrition products could benefit you, or you’re simply interested in checking out what kind of plant-based products are out there and how they can benefit you: this guide is for you. It’s a must read for all active people.  

“This guide also outlines how you can ensure your vegan and vegetarian sports nutrition products are safe and are consumed in the right way. ESSNA is committed to supporting the safety of consumers and our guides have all been created to help us fulfil that commitment. In addition, as always ESSNA’s advice to consumers who have specific nutritional needs, or those who are unsure about what is best for them, is to consider talking to a performance nutritionist or to a trainer.”   

TJ Waterfall, sports nutritionist and co-author of this guide, said

“Vegan and vegetarian sports nutrition products are central to the diets of many active people. They deserve a guide to help them get the most out of their diets. Those who aren’t vegan or vegetarian usually also deserve to know what plant-based products are out there and how they can benefit their active routine.  

“There are many potential health, performance, and recovery benefits to plant-based diets, and sports nutrition products can play a useful role in supporting anyone’s active lifestyle.” 

The ESSNA website hosts its home-based sports nutrition guide and as well as other resources such as our Before, During and After Exercise Sports Nutrition12-step Guide to Sports NutritionWatch Your Protein guide, the Dos and Don’ts of Sports Nutrition and our guide to Home Based Sports NutritionThis material is designed to assist by outlining the most effective and safe ways to stay fit and healthy, written by a wide range of experts from the sports nutrition sector. Check out TJ Waterfall’s resources on vegan nutrition, fitness and lifestyle here

For more information or a quote from TJ Waterfall, please contact Rachel King via [email protected]