England's Women's Ashes star Mady Villiers reveals how her vegan diet has improved her physical and athletic performance.
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As the Women’s Ashes series kicks off in Australia, Spinner Mady Villiers has shared how a vegan diet has improved her performance.
Villiers went vegan in 2019 after watching an online lecture on veganism and hasn’t looked back since.
The cricket star has since noticed a positive change in her physical performance, claiming to feel “a lot more refreshed”.
Moreover, Villiers joins the growing number of professional athletes switching to a vegan diet.
Mady Villiers with Sophie Ecclestone. Image source: Instagram @madyvilliers
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Mady Villiers’ vegan diet
When learning the truth about the meat and dairy industry, Villiers was shocked at how little she knew about where her food came from.
Villiers admitted: “I would never think about the life that it had. It was quite selfish really.”
Since embracing her plant-based diet, the athlete has noticed a number of improvements to her body.
“Becoming vegan hasn’t impacted my game at all in any way, shape or form, if anything, I feel better.”
Mady added: “I recover a lot quicker; I didn’t expect these benefits to happen.”
In addition, the Women’s Ashes player explained that she has been able to recover quicker by increasing her fruit and vegetable intake.
“I’m not as stiff anymore. On the whole, I feel a lot more refreshed when I wake up.”
Furthermore, Villiers has received support for her vegan lifestyle from her England teammates.
“My teammates love it. Every now and again, they’ll eat the vegan options.”
Vegan athletes
Like Mady, many professional athletes are turning to a vegan diet to improve their performance.
Vegan athletes such as Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams, and Lewis Hamilton have embraced plant-based proteins to keep them top of their game.
Not only have these sports stars maintained their performance, but they have also defied the notion of ‘meat = protein’.
Thanks to athletes and celebrities, more people understand the benefits of a vegan diet and ditching meat and dairy for good.
In need of plant-based proteins?
These high protein recipes are perfect for post-workout snacking.
Source: BBC sport