Blazers Point Guard, Damian Lillard, Is Eating Vegan to Improve His Game!

Point guard for the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers, Damian Lillard has made quite the name for himself on the court, he was named NBA All-Star twice – and now Lillard is making a name for himself off the court too. The professional basketball star has been eating a vegan diet in the hopes of improving his game. Recently, Lillard was on The Late Late Show with James Gordon where he revealed he’s been eating plant-based for a whole week. Hey, you gotta start somewhere!

Lillard has been showing off his meat-free eats on Instagram and asking for recommendations on Twitter. It’s wonderful to see an athlete with so much influence eating plant-based and raising awareness that cutting out meat and dairy can be good for performance!

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Seems like Lillard has figured out that exercise and fitness aren’t the only key part of a successful athletic journey. Good nutrition is just as important as your workouts, and can really help you reach your goals sooner, while also supporting your body long-term.

And Lillard isn’t the only one breaking all the stereotypes that athletes need meat and dairy products to thrive. Offensive tackle for the Washington Redskins, Trent Williams also started eating plant-based after watching the documentary “What the Health” on Netflix. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is also vegan, as well as defensive lineman David Carter.

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 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!

As Lillard’s journey shows – you don’t need meat and dairy to be a high-performing athlete! Have you tried being a plant-based athlete? Tell us in the comments!

Lead image source: Damien Lillard/Instagram