Bodybuilder gives up meat as an experiment and claims turning vegan made him STRONGER – and says his ‘brain is working better too’

  • Bodybuilder and gym owner Kyl Raggio adopted a vegan diet five weeks ago
  • Was intrigued about the benefits of the diet after watching a documentary
  •  He says he already feels stronger and his ‘brain is working better’   

A bodybuilder who adopted a vegan diet as an ‘experiment’ claims he now performs better on a plant-based diet.

Kyl Raggio, who owns KR Performance in Randwick, Sydney, said he watched the documentary ‘The Game Changers’ which showcases elite vegan athletes.  

He said he was so intrigued by the idea he decided to try it for himself. 

‘It is the most controversial documentary in the fitness industry,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘People think you cant be on a plant based diet and put on muscle. It sparked my interest and I wanted to disprove that.’  

Mr Raggio has done the diet for five weeks but says he already feels stronger and doesn’t plan on eating meat again. 

‘It sounds weird to say and sort of hard to explain but my brain is working better and my energy levels have been awesome and my memory retention is better,’ he said. 

Mr Raggio said when it came to his training he also felt more motivated and has found his sessions easier to complete and recover from. 

After just five weeks he said the early positive results had convinced him to abandon his old meat based diet.  

‘My initial goal was to do the diet for eight weeks but now I have no intention of going back (to meat),’ he said.

‘Now that I’ve done it I don’t see why I have to go back, I didn’t expect that.’ 

Mr Raggio went vegan five weeks ago and said despite being in the early stages he feels more energetic

Being a gym owner and competitive bodybuilder Mr Raggio (pictured) said he was in a position to prove the benefits of a vegan diet

Mr Raggio said he’s excited for the opportunity to go to his next bodybuilding and power-lifting competitions to show off his vegan body. 

He said that previously he was a ‘massive’ meat eater who ate chicken, beef and eggs most days.   

Since going vegan Mr Raggio said even some of his clients have been more interested in the concept and were eager to see his results. 

‘I expected a bit of backlash on it but it’s created a lot of interest,’ he said. 

‘I think because of my position (in the fitness industry) people are a little more intrigued.’ 

He also had his blood work done prior to the experiment and will have it done again after eight weeks.  

‘The goal is to see if it stays the same, improves or gets worse,’ he said. 

‘In terms of training, to be honest, it has been better. I was on the fence about it for a long time but this has been a really cool journey for me.’ 

MEAL PLAN BEFORE AND AFTER GOING VEGAN

Previous Meal Plan

Breakfast

– Whole Egg Omelette with sourdough toast

or

– Protein oats (whey protein) with mixed berries, honey & Peanut Butter

Lunch

– Grilled chicken breast with brown rice and green vegetables

Dinner

– Grilled grass fed beef burgers with sweet potato and salad.

Current Vegan meal plan:

Breakfast

– Tofu scramble with sprouted Ezekiel bread, mushrooms & avocado

or

– Protein oats (plant based protein) with maple syrup, almond butter, blueberries & seeds

Lunch

– Bean mix in a tomato sauce (red kidney beans, lentils & chickpeas) with brown rice and vegetables

Dinner

– Air fryer tempeh with baked sweet potato, mixed leafy greens and nutritional yeast.

Source: Bodybuilder gives up meat as an experiment and claims turning vegan made him STRONGER – and says his ‘brain is working better too’