Updated December 27, 2019 11:57:03

Veganism is on the rise in Australia and with documentaries such as Netflix's Game Changers influencing athletes to try plant-based diets, the nation's sports clubs are being forced to clarify to their players what food is best.

While there is evidence vegan diets can have significant health and environmental benefits, there are also factors to consider if trying it.

Rostyn Griffiths, who plays with A-League soccer club Melbourne City, is one of many athletes who now eat a predominantly plant-based diet.

"I thought well at 31 [years old], if I can decrease my inflammatory markers a bit then I would be happy," Griffiths said.

"The first thing I noticed was I lost a heap of weight from just not eating meat, so I lost about three more kilos which was quite surprising.

"I didn't notice too much more in terms of feeling fitter or fatigued, I just felt normal."

He did find he was recovering quicker after games and was not as sore.

But when Griffiths re-tested his blood levels, his iron was very low, although he fixed that by eating more food like kidney beans and certain cereals and returning to consuming meat about once a week.

Since embarking on a mostly plant-based diet, he has been eating less food and has seen a huge drop in his cholesterol levels.

"That is something I have got in my family history it is now way below the normal levels, whereas before it was above the high levels," Griffiths said.

While some are seeing the benefits, not all athletes are convinced a vegan diet is the way to go.

Fremantle defender Luke Ryan said the Game Changers documentary and the trend to towards vegan diets had got many of the players at the Dockers thinking.

The AFL club held a meeting to educate their players on what they should and should not be eating.

"It was talked around the club a fair bit but I am not into that sort of stuff," Ryan said.

"I am just into my barbecues and snags and that sort of stuff.

"I don't think any of the boys have gone vegan, we are all off that, we are intrigued by it, but everyone is on the meat."

Speaking to Triple J's Hack program, dietician Simone Austin, who's worked with the Hawthorn Football Club, said there are significant benefits in eating more vegetables but there was no evidence to suggest going completely meat free would provide an edge for athletes.

"I think they were relieved (the Hawthorn players) when I told them they didn't need to do that (go vegan)," she said.

"But I had been telling them the same message for a long time; when you go and get your ham and cheese toastie, add some avocado, tomatoes and spinach.

"I'm already trying to encourage them to be more plant-based but they were pretty keen to learn they didn't need to go completely vegan."

However, she said the research showed eating less meat was healthy.

And in terms of building muscle, you can still get your protein and carbohydrates from sources like legumes, lentils, tofu and soybeans.

"If you think about third world countries, the main protein source is often rice. So there's certainly ways to get lots of protein," Austin said.

The difference is that animal-based proteins are more efficiently digested than plant-based ones, so there should be a combination of the two, she said.

As is often the case, balance is the key.

Topics:sport,diet-and-nutrition,perth-6000,wa

First posted December 27, 2019 08:15:22

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Vegan athletes are increasing, but does a plant-based diet improve athleticism? - ABC News