PLANT-BASED PROS

While there are various reasons to remove, or at least cut down on, meat and other animal products, an increasing number of athletes are doing so for performance purposes alone. However, individual needs vary from sport to sport.

A cyclist, for example, needs an average of 6,071 calories per day on a ride, while a footballer burns around a third of that during a 90-minute match. Regardless of diet, getting the requisite energy and nutrients can be a tricky business, so cutting off numerous foods limits options, meaning careful planning and research is key.

Foregoing meat and dairy can be a tough decision for anyone, but for an athlete with performances on the line, it's a potentially career-changing move. Professional cyclist Adam Hansen, who has taken part in 29 Grand Tours, was dairy-free for the majority of his life, but he’s only recently made the step