The Truth About Vegan Protein and Why It Works for Baseball Players
Submitted by Jennifer Dawson, Special to MSBL
Baseball players need strong muscles to play at their best, which is where protein comes in: it’s how your body repairs and builds muscle after training. But some older players may be unsure if they can get enough protein from a plant-based diet to stay strong and avoid muscle loss as they age. You may also simply question whether vegan protein is as good as animal protein. The good news is that, when done right, plant-based diets can support muscle growth and strength just as well as animal-based diets. This is what a recent Springer research review found to be true. So, for vegan senior baseball players, it’s totally doable to meet your protein targets with a nice variety of whole plant foods, and stay at the top of your game without animal products.
Meeting daily protein needs without meat
Guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine say athletes of all ages should consume 1.2-2 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight daily. For a 180 pound athlete, that works out to 100-165 grams of protein a day. Vegan athletes can absolutely meet this requirement. It just takes some consideration as plant-based foods tend to have less protein per serving than animal products. But there are plenty of options and ways to reach daily targets. Think: all kinds of beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts, and seeds. Even foods you may not think of as super protein-rich like grains and veggies have a decent protein content, usually around 13% of their calories. Include a variety of these foods in your meals and snacks, and you’ll reach your protein target easily.
Can vegan protein really build muscle? Science says yes
A 2025 study from the University of Illinois found that vegans built just as much muscle as non-vegans during a nine-day weight training program. The study also found that quantities and timing related to protein intake didn’t matter. Whether people ate a set amount of protein at each meal or different amounts throughout the day, the muscle growth was the same. They all ate 1.1-1.2 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight daily overall. The key takeaway is that, as long as you meet your daily protein needs, you can and will build muscle with vegan protein, regardless of when or how you eat it.
Plant proteins may not have all the essential amino acids in one food like animal protein does, but that’s not a problem. Your body can take the amino acids from the plants you eat throughout the day, and use them to build complete proteins by itself. This means you don’t need to stress about combining specific plant foods to get all the amino acids. Just eat a variety of whole plant foods and you’ll be covered.
Planning meals to get your protein in
Senior baseball players can easily meet their protein needs on a vegan diet, but a little meal planning can help, especially on busy game days. Don’t worry, you don’t need a super strict plan, just a rough idea of where your protein’s coming from for each meal and snack. Harvard’s Healthy Eating Plate is a good guide to work from. Half your plate should be veggies or fruit, and the other half divided between wholegrains and protein. One thing to keep in mind is that beans double as both protein and carbs. So just take care to add in another healthy carb (like rice or potatoes) if beans are your main protein source to create a balanced plate.
When planning meals, try to build them around good vegan protein sources. A tofu scramble for breakfast, for example, packs in around 20 grams of protein. Tempeh stir-fry is another great option for lunch or dinner, with around 20 grams of protein, too. You can also add extra protein to meals that need an extra boost. A few spoons of hemp seeds on oatmeal or salad can add about ten grams of protein. Or a scoop of pea protein mixed into a smoothie can add around 25 grams.
Senior baseball players can absolutely get all the protein they need to fuel their performance on a vegan diet. As long as you fill up on a nice variety of wholefoods, you’ll have no problem hitting your protein targets with no need for animal products.