One thing about Justin Fields is that he takes his health seriously. When you talk about being a world-class athlete, everything matters. It’s not only about how hard you work out. It is also about what you’re eating. Fields revealed that he adhered to a strict vegan diet when he arrived in the NFL. For those who don’t know, vegans are people that keep animal-based products out of their system. That means no meat, fish, or dairy—only plant-based products. The widespread belief is this leads to higher energy and greater performance.
However, now entering his third year, something has changed. Fields revealed to Kyle Brandt of NFL Network that he is no longer a vegan. He has switched to a pescatarian diety, meaning he will eat fish moving forward.
Fields says the change was primarily driven by not having great options available when going out to eat. While that is likely true, one doesn’t change a lifestyle for that reason alone. It is possible Fields was motivated by another reason. Believe it or not, the vegan diet isn’t as popular in nutritionist circles as you’d think.
Justin Fields may have learned lessons from Cam Newton.
Nobody championed the vegan approach more than the former MVP quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. Newton switched to veganism in 2019, believing it would help elevate his performance. Signs that he might’ve made a mistake appeared almost immediately. His play suffered right out of the gate, and injuries also began to mount. Brendan Marks of the Charlotte Observer spoke to multiple experts on the subject. They saw the problems coming.
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“Go back to 2015 Cam, badass Cam. He was a pescatarian,” said Chris Howard, a certified nutritionist and strength and conditioning coach from Waxhaw. “Salmon, shrimp, you get a lot of good fats and complete proteins. In fact, (fish) is one of the best protein sources there is. “Now you take away the most valuable part of that (diet), and … there’s just no way around it: He can’t recover as well with less nutrients, with less calories and with less muscle mass. It’s just not going to happen.”
A big part of the problem was dropped weight.
Newton played most of his peak at somewhere between 250-260 lbs. When he switched to vegan, he dipped into the 230s. Though it may have made him lighter on his feet, it also reduced his energy tank and made him more susceptible to injuries because of decreased muscle mass.
Even losing 10 pounds, they said, could result in less energy during athletic competition, as well as an increased susceptibility to injury. “If he’s in a state of starvation, although minimal and self-imposed, you can overtrain a lot easier,” Howie said. “If he is operating in starvation mode, your body will fight to protect organs. It’ll take muscle after the fat’s gone — the next choice is muscle because that’s all that’s left to burn. “At 250 pounds, he’d need about 3,800 calories a day to maintain that weight. You almost can’t eat enough beans and vegetables to eat that many calories.”
Let’s put this in perspective.
From 2011 through 2018, Newton missed five games with injuries. In 2019 and 2020, he missed 16. It was obvious to everybody that his body was rapidly breaking down. His play also suffered. He maintained a solid 86.4 passer rating during his career before the start of 2019. That collapsed to 77.1 in his final three years. He wasn’t the same player. It’s possible Justin Fields sensed the same problem.
His energy wasn’t high enough, nor was his powers of recovery. He has missed seven games across his first two seasons with injuries. Given his style of play, with the running and holding the ball in the pocket, there is a danger those problems will only magnify. Switching to a pescatarian diet should help him to build and maintain greater muscle mass, cushioning his body against the physical NFL punishment. Don’t be surprised if positive changes are noticeable this season.
I’m glad to hear that. Athletes need bioavailable proteins. Fish doesn’t have all the essential amino acids, for that one looks to red meat. But his current diet is an improvement.
It was obvious to everybody that his body was rapidly breaking down. His play also suffered.