Vegan bodybuilder makes India proud, wins silver in Natural Mr. World competition in Los Angeles

23rd November, 2022

When working out, the same health issues that affect everyone else might affect bodybuilders. Hence, for the support of the growth of wholesome muscle, bodybuilders require more protein than the average person. That being said, steroid users may really be at considerably greater danger, as it remains a cause for specific ailments, such as heart illness. But consuming a vegan diet could reduce some of these dangers. After all, a vegan bodybuilding diet is feasible and might even provide some health advantages, such as improved gut health, weight management, and cardiovascular health, with a careful approach to nutrition. And it appears that Karuppanan Venkatesan a vegan bodybuilder from Hyderabad has mastered his craft on a plant-based diet.

Last weekend's Natural Mr. World bodybuilding competition in Los Angeles was a wonderful triumph for K. Venkatesan, from India. This competition was just for athletes who could survive on a vegetarian diet and Karuppanan is a class apart! Venkatesan, who moved to the city from Madurai and competed as the lone Indian, is a Kamaraj University graduate with a degree in philosophy and religion. Read on to know more about his exemplary feat.

The vegan bodybuilder’s fitness schedule

In addition to various forms of pranayama, the 45-year-old vegan bodybuilder's daily hard workout routine includes 45 minutes for cardio separately. He makes his own protein shake from 32 organic pulses and almonds, which he eats every two hours throughout the day. Additionally, he only consumes seasonal fruits and vegetables as solid meals. The bodybuilder who doesn't take supplements advises continually keeping an eye on heart rate.

In order to keep his body from growing accustomed to the variations and since stock helps the body concentrate better, he alters his workout technique every three months while training for this kind of competition, he explained.

Bodybuilding on a vegan diet

Although it may not be common, bodybuilding while following a vegan diet is doable. Despite the widespread notion that vegan diets lack protein, you can obtain all of the protein your body needs from plant-based sources. For vegan athletes, chickpeas, beans, lentils, tofu, and quinoa are common sources of protein. The fact is that when we exercise, our muscles are damaged and broken down, and then they rebuild stronger than they were before. Large quantities of protein are needed for this growth. Protein can come from animal products, but it can also come from plants, which is more moral and better for the environment.

A crucial aspect of bodybuilding is consuming a lot of protein. Animal products are the most well-known sources of protein. But in recent years, we've discovered that ingesting protein from sustainable sources can help you build muscle just as well.

The secret to his single-minded focus

In early 2015, Venkatesan, who was supporting himself by working as a personal trainer for a restricted group of people, actually competed for India in the previous event and placed fourth. This time, a more assured Venkatesan was truly aiming for the winner's prize, having gained confidence from his previous years’ experience. Focusing on more repetitions with lighter weights during the pre-championship phase of such an event is the toughest obstacle, he revealed, adding that getting a gold as his first goal would have been fantastic. But, even earning a silver medal is a huge accomplishment for him, gushed a clearly happy Venkatesan upon his return to the city.

The bodybuilder who does not use supplements suggested constantly monitoring heart rate. "As I complete those repetitions, I focus on how my mind and muscles interact with one another on each repeat. I have to keep a laser-like focus,” Venkatesan said.

An outstanding track record
 

This former "Mr. India," who competed in the 34–40 years category, explains, that this event was  organised by International Natural Bodybuilding Association, which is dedicated to promoting drug- free bodybuilding competitions both at national and international levels. Venkatesan is grateful to UR Life Studio and Mr. Ravi of TV5 channel for their significant assistance.

The 50-medal winner at previous national and international competitions plans to continue competing when he is 100 years old! He concluded on a confident and satisfied tone, saying, "I compete every year to assess how I am progressing towards that aim.”