With Novak Djokovic and Lewis Hamilton’s plant-based sports success, five plant-based foods that reduce inflammation and boost white blood cells after exercise

Research shows plant-rich diets are high in anti-inflammatory compounds that can help relieve muscle soreness and joint pain

From yeast to turmeric, these five plant-based ingredients promote blood flow, repair muscles and reduce inflammation

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Formula One racing car driver Lewis Hamilton (pictured) is one of many sports champions who eat a mostly plant-based diet. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:15pm, 14 Sep 2021Updated: 6:32pm, 14 Sep 2021

What do tennis greats Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, ultra-marathoner Scott Jurek, Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton and UFC fighter Nate Diaz have in common?

In addition to being the best at their respective sports, they’re part of a growing number of elite athletes who subscribe to a mostly plant-based lifestyle. They claim that eating this way improves their performance and endurance and helps them bounce back faster following a tough training session or competition.

After winning the Wimbledon championship for the fifth time in 2019, Djokovic told journalists that his diet of vegetables, fruit, gluten-free grains, nuts and seeds was one of the reasons he recovered well during tournaments.

Diaz, who competes in triathlons in between fights, said in a 2016 interview with Men’s Journal that you don’t need meat “for recovery”. The mixed martial arts fighter also credited part of his UFC success to his meat- and dairy-free diet.

Nate Diaz has a mostly plant-based diet, and says you don’t need meat for post-workout recovery. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

According to research, plant-rich diets are high in anti-inflammatory compounds that can help relieve muscle soreness and joint pain. Eating more plant foods can help you recover faster from long or difficult workouts, leading to more consistent training at higher intensity levels, and subsequently, better performance.

A meta-analysis of 18 previous studies found that people who followed a vegetarian diet for at least two years had lower levels of inflammation than those who consumed an omnivorous diet. These results appeared in 2017 in the journal Public Health Nutrition. Lower inflammation is associated with improved muscle recovery after exercise.