The Game Changers: who's seen it and what did you think of it?
 

Hi Vegans and Veg's


I liked the film and say it is well worth a look. I actually liked the sensationalist way it was presented. It had that 'wild vegan' thing goin' on but not in the usual way. I mean it was bulldust in implying that vegan diets are better for athletic performance than veg or omni diets, and I don't think that should be implied in proper documentary, but this seemed more like an advocacy piece, and it did do a good job of asserting a vegan diet is NOT inferior.

Never heard of it Gem. Will check at some point and give my thoughts.. :-)

Really just bumping up the thread as I'm surprised if people didn't watch The Game Changers, which provides evidence for optimal athletic performance on a plant based diet. I can't say the film makes substantial arguments, and I have heard some rebuttals of the film's claims, including some made by plant based dietitians, so I'm not saying the film is the truth wrapped in gold, and of course it's bias loaded and really amounts to 'celebrity veganism' in the end, but it's not a bad watch at all.

I watched and I flipped to not eating meat the next day, and feeling better for it.
Foiund ive been eating food that is so much more enjoyable.

I’ve watched a few of the debunking videos too and personally I thought they missed the point of the film, and are more interested in proving they are ‘right’

Make the choice that you think is right for you.

Well, the Game Changers was not a scientific film. It was an advocacy piece, but at least it pointed out that you can achieve high performance on a vegan diet. However be it vegan or omnivore, the body needs the nutrients it needs...


Let's make informed decisions based on our biological nutrient requirements.

I enjoyed The Game changers very much (surprise!). The two guys that I was most enthralled with the testimony of was the young guy, Nimai Delgado and the other, Patrick Baboumian, the Iranian/German strong man. Watching him carry several adults on a steel welded frame was beyond impressive.

As for Nimai, his childhood story is so far different from anything that most of us have lived, that alone makes him interesting. Add to that, his decision to go vegan and become a 'clean' top body builder who could say honestly, that his gains have NEVER come at the cost of someone's life or 'helpful drugs', is just the icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned.

I've heard (or read comments) a few times that people had the same kind of reaction as you.

I also watched that Joe Rogan podcast where he had a man named Chris Kresser debating James Wilks, the mixed martial arts guy who made The Game Changers. I thought Kresser came off very poorly in his debunking effort.

In case anyone's interested in seeing it, https://www.livekindly.co/joe-rogan-...svbytaViu-wQLY

"We have enslaved the rest of the animal creation, and have treated our distant cousins in fur and feathers so badly that beyond doubt, if they were able to formulate a religion, they would depict the Devil in human form.
William Ralph Inge (1860-1954)"

I think that is a great quotation because it reminds us that we are connected rather intimately with the animals we eat on the web of life. I feel that it used to be okay for us to hunt because we lived in that animal world for so long (and used to get eaten by predators), but now we have minds aware enough to be able to make a choice. That idea, along with all the other environmental and health benefits, has convinced me enough to truly become vegetarian. Dairy is not the best on my body but not the worst, so I will mostly cut that out too, but I feel like I will keep having eggs from the chickens I own because it's ethical, free, and delicious.

When it comes to health you may wish to review veganism. Some nutrients are easy to get, and some are not, which are the ones that are easier to get from animal food.

If you look into the environment you may want to look at how animals are raised and what they eat. The eggs from your chickens for example are a far more environmentally friendly source of protein than any legumes (plant protein) that come from China, which very likely provides no benefit to wild animals and very likely is sprayed with pesticides. Similarly, you're probably better off with local cow milk than with almond milk. If it's organic farming it's great as this will benefit insects and birds.

As for the 'Game Changers'.. I think it is more fabrication than reality. If you want to grow muscle on only plant food you need to eat ridiculous amounts of food. Just do the protein calculations and compare plant protein (legumes/nuts) with animal protein (eggs/dairy/meat). If you eat a big breakfast with animal foods you can already get more protein than what a vegan gets for the entire day. How long are these vegan athletes actually vegan? Could just be a snapshot in their wider career..

Why do you think Game Changers is fabrication? And which nutrients (besides B12) do you think are hard to get on a vegan diet?

As far as growing muscle on only plant food, Nimai Delgado did it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-VNXCSGgsg He grew up in a Hare Krishna community (which included dairy use), and went vegan in his late teens or early 20's when he decided that he would be a poster guy for what can be accomplished with regards to health and body building on an entirely plant diet. If you look at the video linked, about 5 minutes in, his photo appears on the cover of Muscle & Fitness and you can see right there, what is objectively possible on an all plant diet. Beautiful young man.

The average American or Canadians eats more protein than needed so it isn't necessary to eat a ridiculous amount of food to get adequate protein. About 6 years ago, due to my age, my doctor ordered a blood panel to check my protein levels, inflammation levels, cholesterol, all that sort of thing and everything was perfect. And I definitely have never eaten more food just to get my needed protein. 118 lbs today, 5'4" so I'm obviously not overeating by any means.

Here's another link to a Nimai video where he talks about what he eats in order to fuel his muscles and their growth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNUm1Ed6UJ8. or you could try the following if you're curious enough. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwfwEGbeyT4&t=160s