The popularity of veganism has rocketed in recent years and, considering the potential health benefits, it is no surprise that many athletes have also decided to make the move towards plant-based diets. However, concerns have been raised that doing so may inhibit their performance, as they could struggle to get all the fuel that they need to succeed.

However, not only have a number of athletes put pay to these concerns, but many have found that a change to a plant-based diet has actually enabled them to prosper more so than before. With recent research showing that vegan athletes are still capable of high performance on the field, it is no wonder that so many have taken the plunge. From footballers to boxers, tennis players to martial artists, here are a few of the athletes who have switched to a plant-based diet and thrived.

Venus Williams

The legendary tennis star decided to adopt a raw vegan diet after being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome in 2011, with doctors advising Williams that it would help with the common side effects of joint pain and fatigue. The change became the catalyst for her extraordinary rejuvenation; after a number of years of indifferent form (failing to even reach a Grand Slam singles quarter-final in 2012, 2013 or 2014) she stormed back by reaching the final of Wimbledon in 2017. Furthermore, she did so at the age of 37, making her the oldest finalist of the tournament since Martina Navratilova in 1994.

Talking about the effect of her diet change, Williams said it was going raw vegan which “changed everything”. She said: “I wanted to maintain my performance on the court. Once I started, I fell in love with the concept of fueling your body in the best way possible [through raw, vegan food].” Since Williams’ win, a number of other tennis players have made the shift to plant-based diets, such as Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka.

Nate Diaz

Mixed martial artist Nate Diaz is at the forefront of promoting vegan diets within the martial arts community. Making the decision to become a vegan at the age of 17, Diaz cites this as one of the biggest reasons for the success he has enjoyed throughout his career. He said: “I like to promote the vegan industry. I hear a lot of criticism from people saying you need meat to be strong and for recovery… if anything, meat’s gonna slow you down.”

The decision has clearly paid dividends for him; Diaz has risen to the very top of MMA with a whole host of titles to his name, including being crowned five-time winner of The Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is not the only martial artist to adopt a plant-based diet either. UFC featherweight fighter Alex Caceres also converted to veganism a few years into his career, and three-time World Karate Champion Dan Van Zandt is a known enthusiast of the plant-based powdered food product Huel.

Lewis Hamilton

Formula 1 driver Hamilton switched to a vegan diet in 2017, and partly attributed his fourth F1 title victory to this, in which he became only the fifth driver to win four championships.  Speaking after his triumph at the United States Grand Prix, he said: “All year I’ve felt very strong mentally but I think physically I’m now taking also a big step and that’s really the decision I made to change my diet.”

Initially deciding to become a pescatarian, he took the decision to go fully vegan after concerns about how his current diet would affect his health further down the line. This choice initially led some to question whether it could cause him to lose his edge, and Hamilton himself even conceded it was “going to be a real test.” However, after making the change before the Singapore Grand Prix, he won three of his next four races (finishing second in the other), before clinching the F1 title at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Kyrie Irving

Another sports star to have benefitted from a plant-based diet is NBA star Kyrie Irving. The Boston Celtics point guard is currently in the form of his life, with Bleacher Report’s Tom Haberstroh claiming that Irving is “on top of the basketball world circa November 2017…there’s something different about [him] right now.” Irving has improved his shooting accuracy and has a greater urgency about his game, with statistics showing he has taken more shots without dribbling this season.

Irving has credited his resurgence to his vegan diet, saying: “[Being] on more of a plant-based diet, getting away from the animals and all that… my energy is up; my body feels amazing.” His coach Brad Stevens is in agreement, saying of Irvin: “The nutrition side is huge.” The star has even promoted his diet in a recent advert for Nike, and is the latest in a long line of NBA players to have made the move to a plant-based diet, with other players to have previously done so including Wilson Chandler, Garrett Temple and JaVale McGee.

Until recent years, the idea of a professional athlete relying purely on plants as fuel would have raised eyebrows. Not only have athletes proved that they don’t need meat or animal products to succeed, but many have performed better than ever before.