Estonian powerlifter says switching to a vegan diet solved his health problems

Estonian powerlifter Gert Koovit says that moving to a fully plant-based diet nine years ago resolved his joint pain and other health problems. He adds that his recovery after training has improved markedly. He shared his experience with ERR News, the English-language service of Estonia's public broadcaster.

From a countryside table to veganism

Koovit grew up with six brothers and a sister, eating produce from the countryside. He recalls that the family went through about eight liters of milk a day, along with everything that goes with it.

A powerlifter has to be heavy, so he stresses that a vegan menu is not just onions and potatoes. He takes in 180–240 grams of protein a day, all plant-based, plus roughly three times as many carbohydrates, such as oatmeal, rice and potatoes. Getting plenty of energy from food and keeping his body weight high are important to him.

His wife, who had been vegan for longer, suggested he try it. Koovit says he had reached a point in his sport where his joints began to hurt and he felt he had pushed his body to its limit. After four days of eating vegan food he realized there was no way back, because he felt so good.

An example for other athletes

At the time Koovit lived in London, and in the club where he trained he was one of the smallest men. When things started going well, and he set Estonian records and won medals, the burly men he had been afraid to talk to began asking what he was doing. Some of them then tried vegan food as well.

He believes meat dishes are acidic and can cause inflammation, which builds up under heavy training. In his words, vegan food leaves no heavy feeling after a meal, so he can eat more often and feed his muscles more frequently. He adds that protein can be obtained from vegan food in concentrated form.

The annual Veganmess vegan food festival takes place in Tallinn this weekend.