In a campaign for PETA, American football quarterback Cam Newton has revealed how going vegan has affected his body.
It was in 2017 when the New England Patriots quarterback suffered from a sprained foot and injured his shoulder so severely that it required surgery. And as he was making his comeback, Cam Newton revealed it was going vegan that helped him get back to his regular athletic self, adding that he has not eaten meat since February 2019.
The campaign, titled Built Like A Vegan, in collaboration with PETA, features Newton in an ad displaying what it means to be built like a vegan. He also took part in an exclusive interview with the organisation on its YouTube channel, talking about his journey and making a vegan burger.
In the video, the quarterback says: “I’ve seen such a remarkable change in the way my body responds to the food that I eat.
“I don’t want people to think you can’t love food being vegan, or there’s not good-tasting food that’s vegan,” he added. “A person may ask, ‘How do you get your protein?’… You get it in the same way that they get it, know what I’m saying? The more cleaner, more fresher way.”
However, there has been a debate to whether the player’s vegan diet is benefiting him as critics are blaming the NFL player’s diet change for his poor play and how he failed to score a touchdown In a game in October.
A group of sports nutritionists, dietitians and trainers spoke to the Charlotte Observer regarding Newton’s plant-based diet and concluded that his lack of eating healthy meats and proteins may be inhibiting his ability to recover from injury and contributing to his on-field struggles.
There are ways to be vegan and also be able to recover from and prevent sports injuries by eating the right vegan foods and taking steps to ensure you stay on top of your game.
Newton is not the only athlete to go vegan. In May, ex-professional boxer Mike Tyson credited veganism for his better health and weight loss, making him ready to get back in the ring. PETA has previously also collaborated with NFL players like Tyrann Mathieu and Le’Veon Bell.
