Top Power Lifter Credits Vegan Diet for Strength

Wales-born powerlifter Matthew Jones recently revealed to local news outlet Wales Online that his vegan diet is the key behind his success. Jones went vegan in January and shortly became the world’s third best power lifter in his class. The sport consists of three weightlifting competitions—squats, bench press, and deadlifts—in which Jones has demonstrated his ability to lift three times his body weight. Jones credits his diet of oats, nuts, seeds, rice, potatoes, beans, tofu, and lentils to faster recovery times that allow him to train more regularly. While he first went vegan for health reasons, after watching animal-rights documentaries the powerlifter stated, “It was then that I also learnt about the ethical side to it, and realized how cruely animals are often treated.” Top athletes including boxer David Haye, football star Tyrann Mathieu, and former Mr. Universe Barny Du Plessis have all recently eschewed animal products from their diets in favor of plants.